Is the use of Skype, BBM Voice or Viber illegal in the UAE? Will you be able to make VoIP calls using any of the above mentioned services or do none of these work from your phone? And more importantly, who is responsible for this?

VoIP services such as Skype, BBM Voice and Viber can all be easily downloaded onto your phone.

Interestingly, Viber can even be recharged using the Google Play store via du or Etisalat Pay.

Users will, however, not be able to recharge their Skype credit from within the UAE due to the page being currently blocked.

“Try calling someone using any of the VoIP services and all you hear is a ‘Hello’ and then the long scrambled voice like a twisted guitar string,” said George Kurian.

Beena Thomas who uses an iPhone and a BlackBerry 10 device added: “It worked the first time. I tried it on Skype first and the same pattern repeated on Viber and now on BlackBerry Voice.

“All three worked the first time I installed it. But it all stopped working the very next day.”

According to her, she received an update for BBM on her iPhone, which enabled BBM Voice calls. 

She, however, added that her BlackBerry device is yet to receive a similar update.

UAE’s Telecom Regulatory Authority (TRA) has already clarified that it is not the one that blocks or unblocks any service.

TRA issued a statement in earlier this year [in September] that only Etisalat and Du are authorised to provide the service here in UAE.

TRA has even gone on record to state so in its official website.

Explaining its policy on the VoIP service, TRA notes only those who are licensed to provide the VoIP service in the UAE can do so and that it does not block VoIP traffic or protocols.

 

According to the TRA, the Federal Law by Decree (3) of 2003 and its amendments clearly indicates that VoIP based services are considered ‘Regulated Activities’ as defined in the law, when offered and supplied to subscriber.

‘Therefore a Telecommunications License is required to offer such services in the UAE. VoIP Services are regulated by the TRA Regulatory Framework and specifically by the TRA VoIP Regulatory Policy ver.2.0 issued December 30, 2009. This policy replaced the previous version (ver.1.0, issued December 26, 2006)’, it notes.

Explaining further, the TRA says the previous version of the law restricted provisioning of VoIP Services (but not VoIP Technology) for international calls, while the current one allows licensees to provide VoIP services, allowing users to connect to PSTN numbers in other countries.

Therefore, “as per the VoIP Policy ver. 2.0, the licensees have the right to block illegal VoIP traffic,” the note adds.

It also states only those who are licensed to provide the service (Etisalat and du) may provide VoIP Services in the UAE, thereby making it amply clear that all VoIP services, as long as they are not offered by either Etisalat or du, remains illegal and can be blocked.

Explaining it further TRA notes that ‘services for internet calls provided by third parties fall within the scope of this policy.

‘As voice calls provided by Skype are considered to be a Regulated Activity, such services have to be provided by a licensee. Hence, it is illegal to use such software to make calls (eg Skype-out/Skype-in), unless this third party (eg Skype) is licensed by the TRA to provide such services or a Licensee provides the service in collaboration with this third party’.
 

Khloe Kardashian is reportedly angry at Kim Kardashian West for not appreciating her husband, Kanye West, and 18-month-old daughter, North, as much as she should.

(Bang)

The 30-year-old 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star wishes her older sister would appreciate her husband, Kanye West, and 18-month-old daughter, North, more.

(Bang)

A source revealed: "Khloe would willingly give both her arms to have a baby and a husband and she thinks that Kim is totally misguided and missing the big picture.

"[She should thank her] lucky stars for what she already has right in front of her - Nori and Kanye."

(Bang)

The sibling feud is believed to be "tiring" Khloe out and "draining" the family's Christmas spirit.

A source continud: "She's literally tired of Kim always playing the victim.

(Bang)

"And not only that, Khloe feels Kim's draining the family for emotional support and comfort and taking the fun and joy out of Christmas and the New Year."

The family drama comes amidst rumours that Kim is struggling to conceive a second child with her husband, 37, with the 34-year-old television personality reportedly upset that her sister, Kourtney Kardashian, 35, - who just gave birth to her third child - can get pregnant so easily.

(Bang)

A source shared to HollywoodLife.com: "Kourtney basically can blink and have a baby, and now that Kim is having trouble she is extremely jealous and is not hiding her emotions about it to Kourtney."

Kim buys North £35k doll house

(Bang)

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West have splashed out £35,000 on a dolls house for their 17-month-old daughter North for Christmas.

Kim Kardashian West has bought her daughter a £35,000 dolls' house for Christmas.

The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' star and her husband Kanye West have splurged on the lavish gift, and other presents such as a personalised designer leather jacket, for 17-month-old North to have a memorable festive season.

A source said: "Kim's bought North a dolls' house worth £35k - it comes with a marble bathroom with NW encrusted in gold on the bathtub.

"She's also splashed out on a Dolce & Gabbana leather jacket with 'North' etched in Swarovski crystals. Kim doesn't see any harm in spoiling her rotten."

North won't be the only member of the family to be spoiled on Christmas Day, as it was recently revealed Kanye splurged $7,000 on an Yves Salomon fox fur jacket for his wife.

Meanwhile, Kim, 34, has reportedly set her heart on commissioning an "artistic" sculpture of her bottom as a present for the 37-year-old rapper.

The brunette beauty - who recently posed nude for Paper magazine - has reportedly paid over $20,000 for a Silicon replica of her behind.

A source recently revealed: "The replica was her idea for a gift, she thinks it's artistic and knew Kanye would love it.

"It means he'll always have a piece of her, albeit her bum, if Kim's away working."

Kourtney reveals new baby name and picture

Reality TV star Kourtney Kardashian has named her third child Reign Aston Disick.

(Instagram)

Kourtney Kardashian has named her third child Reign Aston Disick.

The reality TV star gave birth to the latest member of her family on December 14 and there has been much speculation surrounding the name of her baby boy ever since.

(Instagram)

But Kourtney, 35, has ended the rumours by confirming the baby's name on Instagram.

She wrote: "Madly in love with my little Reign Aston Disick."

(Instagram)

Reign's name is English in origin and means sovereign or ruler, but it remains to be seen whether the decision of Kourtney and her partner Scott Disick leads to it becoming more popular among the US public, as was the case with their eldest son Mason, who was born exactly five years earlier.

The couple also have a two-year-old daughter, Penelope Scotland Disick.

(Instagram)

In a recent interview, Kourtney admitted that she enjoys the feeling of being pregnant and is happy to embrace her fuller figure.

She explained: "I love being pregnant in general. This time I'm more tired than I was the other times.

"I think it's because I'm always running around and working on different things. But I feel comfortable with how I look and feel. I find a pregnant body to be beautiful and an incredible reminder of what a woman's body is made to do."

Kim looks suddenly slimmer

Kim Kardashian has been accused of using digital trickery to alter her selfies in the past.

(Instagram)

And as she posed in her closet, the voluptuous reality star looked suspiciously slimmer than she did just a few hours later.

(Instagram)

Kris Jenner to pay Bruce $2.5 million

Kris Jenner has reportedly agreed to pay Bruce Jenner $2.5 million to equalise their assets, as part of their divorce settlement.

The 59-year-old reality TV star and the 64-year-old Olympic gold medallist, whose divorce was finalised in Los Angeles today following their split last year, divided their $60 million fortune equally after reaching an amicable settlement in September, but the Kardashian family matriarch has to pay her ex-husband the lump sum to equalise their assets.

(Bang)

A source said the former couple, who have daughters Kendall, 19, and Kylie, 17, together, have also divided up their fleet of vehicles.

Kris gets to keep a 2012 Rolls-Royce Ghost, a 2014 Bentley and a 2014 Land Rover, while Bruce gets to hold on to a 2011 Porsche 997 Coupe, a 2013 Cadillac Escalade and a 2007 Harley motorcycle, according to gossip website TMZ.com.

(Bang)

They each get to keep their airline miles.

The duo, who announced their separation in October 2013 and filed for divorce last September, previously agreed that Kris could keep their former family home in Hidden Hills and her 20.5 carat engagement ring, and Bruce, who lives in his own bachelor pad in Malibu, retained their exclusive Sherwood Country Club membership.

(Bang)

The Kardashian family matriarch recently started dating Justin Bieber's road manager Corey Gamble, and Olympic gold medallist Bruce has been linked to Kris' former personal assistant Ronda Kamihira.

While a judge has signed off on their divorce, it won't become official until March 23, 2015, due to the six-month legal requirement.

Why is Kanye jealous of Kourtney's baby?

Kanye West is reportedly "jealous" of Kourtney Kardashian's new baby boy, who was born on Sunday, because his wife, Kim Kardashian West, isn't giving him as much attention.

The 'Stronger' hitmaker - who is married to Kim Kardashian West, 34, - is reportedly envious of all the attention Kourtney Kardashian and her new baby, which was born on Sunday, are getting.

A source revealed to HollywoodLife.com: "[Kanye] almost seems jealous of the attention.

"Kim's focus on her sisters family isn't helping her relationship."

Meanwhile, a source previously revealed that Kim is "determined" to make her relationship with Kanye, 37, work.

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star is believed to be desperate for her marriage not to end up like her mother's, Kris Jenner, amidst rumours that the relationship is already at risk.

A source shared: "Kim is determined to make this work because she does not want to ever have to go through what she is watching her mom and Bruce go through."

The television personality - who has 17-month-old North with her husband - is hoping a new addition to their family will help make things easier for the couple.

The insider added: "[They are] not getting a divorce [and are] planning to have another child in the near future!

"She wants to have just one more baby and then she is done."

Kris wanted to tape Kourtney

Kris Jenner reportedly caused 'tension' at the birth of Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick's new baby because she wanted it to be filmed.

(Bang)

The 59-year-old mother-of-six was reportedly the source of a lot of "drama" for the 35-year-old television personality and her partner, Scott Disick, whose third child was born on Sunday.

A source revealed: "There was drama surrounding the birth. But for the first time in quite a while, it was not centred around Scott!

(Bang)

"Kris wanted the cameras to roll on the birth and Kourtney had to fight with her to keep it private. Kris just wants to exploit anything that she can, so of course this is no different."

Despite the "drama", Scott and Kourtney - who already have Mason, five and Penelope, two - are hoping the new arrival can give them a "fresh start" in their relationship.

The source shared to RadarOnline.com: "[Scott] has been sober recently and totally stepped up to the plate for her, as he knew that she was going to give birth to their child.

(Bang)

"Hopefully this can be a fresh start for them. They are very happy parents right now and, regardless of what is going on in their relationship, sometimes a baby can make things all better.

"They have a brand new healthy boy and right now that is all that matters to her and her children."

Kim crops North out

Instagram

We all know Kim Kardashian is obsessed with selfie.

And looks like the reality star won't let anything get in the way of a good selfie - not even her daughter.

Kim unceremoniously cropped her daughter North West out of a Instagram picture over the weekend.

Instagram 

Kim shared a series of shots of North and her pals on Sunday, before posting another shot with an emoji of a smiley face giving a kiss, next to a picture where North was cropped out from.

The pair was out and about at the Disney On Ice - Let's Celebrate show at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Kim's other picture revealed they were joined by North's cousins Penelope, two, and Mason, five.

Instagram

She was rebuked for cropping North out of the frame so she took to Twitter on Monday to explain why

The 34-year-old reality star was baffled by all the fuss the picture caused online, and said that while it was an unflattering frame of her daughter, she loved her own look.

Instagram

She tweeted: 'Wait, is this really news that I posted a selfie and cropped my daughter out? LOL.'

She added: 'Her eyes were closed and I was feeling my look! Can I live?!?!'

Kourtney welcomes son

Kourtney Kardashian has welcomed her new baby with partner Scott Disick, on the birthday of their eldest child, according to a report by E! News.

(Instagram)

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star and partner Scott Disick have welcomed their new arrival on the 5th birthday of their eldest son, Mason.

The 35-year-old television personality - who also has Penelope, 2 - is believed to be incredibly excited about the new addition to the family.

(Instagram)

A source told E! News: "The family is freaking out with joy. What an amazing coincidence."

Earlier, Kourtney shared a photo of Mason, calling him the "coolest little boy".

(Bang)

She wrote: "Happy birthday to the coolest little boy in the entire world. You teach me so much every single day and changed my universe the second I met you.

"You have taught me what life is all about and I am truly blessed and honored to be your mommy. (sic)"

Meanwhile, Kourtney recently posed nude for DuJour magazine whilst nine months pregnant, something which she found "wonderful".

(Bang)

Speaking about the shoot, she said: "I had done a nude shoot when I was pregnant with Mason, really last minute just for myself, and I love it.

"This time, we were shooting for our show, and everyone on our camera crew was like, 'You are so comfortable just walking around naked and pregnant!'

"[But] what appeals to me is celebrating the shape of my body being pregnant and capturing that time in my life ... It's a wonderful thing to be able to show my children these photographs one day and say, 'This was you inside' ... I'm at my best when I'm pregnant.

"It's such an amazing feeling, the transformation that your body goes through. There's something about that that's so empowering and beautiful."

Kim wants smaller bottom!

Getty Images

This is news to everyone... Kim Kardashian West wants a smaller bottom.

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star - whose curvy bottom was on full display during her recent nude photo shoot for Paper magazine - also thinks her sister, Khloé Kardashian, is "out of control" and needs to "lose a few pounds".

Getty Images

Speaking on an upcoming episode of 'Kourtney and Khloé Take The Hamptons' as obtained by E! News, Kourtney Kardashian's partner, Scott Disick, told Kim: "You guys are famous for big butts. You guys lose your butts we may all lose our money."

She replied: "I don't care, I want a flat ass now."

Bruce Weber and Kim Kardashian (Getty Images)

Meanwhile, a source recently revealed that Kim wanted to commission an "artistic" sculpture of her bottom as a present for her husband, Kanye West.

The source shared: "The replica was her idea for a gift, she thinks it's artistic and knew Kanye would love it. 

Kylie's overtly plump pout...

Kylie Jenner shared a selfie of her plump pout, writing '4u'. (Instagram)

(Instagram)

(Instagram)

(Instagram)

Kim flashes her curves at NYC

Kim Kardashian attends the 19th Annual ACRIA Holiday Dinner at Skylight Modern. (Getty Images)

Jason Binn, Kim Kardashian and Bruce Weber (Getty Images)

Kim's 'date night' with Kanye

Kim Kardashian couldn't resist sneaking off to the bathroom to take a quick picture while on a date with husband Kanye West. (Instagram)

(Instagram)

Kim and Kanye (Twitter)

Kanye rings up North everyday

Kanye West speaks to his daughter, 17-month-old North West, everyday when he is touring.

The 'Stronger' hitmaker - who has 17-month-old North West with his wife Kim Kardashian West - loves to hear his child's voice when he's touring all over the world.

A source said: "There's not one day that goes by where Kanye's not calling the house and talking to Nori on the phone.

"Just hearing his precious baby speak makes his day."

The 36-year-old rapper - whose last world tour saw him perform over 50 shows in two continents - also requests that Kim and North's grandmother, Kris Jenner, sends him photographs of his little one.

The source continued to HollywoodLife.com: "Kanye loves Nori more than life itself and for anyone to say he's a bad dad or an absent father is crazy."

Meanwhile, Kanye has reportedly requested his daughter has a personal chef and a £8,000 bed for his next tour.

A source shared: "North will have her own chef, who will prepare bespoke baby meals, including butternut squash risotto, minty lamb koftas and chicken and apple balls.

"Her organic milk will be served in a Tiffany sterling silver child's cup with a Tiffany monkey straw and Kanye's requested platters of organic berries - no expense will be spared."

Kim's nude Paper shoot was 'all her'

Reality TV star Kim Kardashian West's nude pictures in Paper magazine are "all her", according to Mickey Boardman, the Editorial Director of the publication.

(Paper magazine)

The reality TV star recently appeared nude for the publication, and Mickey Boardman, the Editorial Director of Paper, says Kim, 34, looks the same in person as she does in the eye-catching pictures.

He told the New York Post's Page Six column: "I've seen it and it's all her. Every photo in every magazine is retouched on a level to clean things up and obviously the shooting Champagne and other certain things are fixed and enhanced, but that's her butt."

(Paper magazine)

Meanwhile, Kim recently defended her decision to pose naked for the magazine, saying it made her feel more self-confident and empowered.

The 'Keeping Up with the Kardashians' beauty shared: "I did it as an art project that was going to make me feel confident and feel good. And it taught me to do what you want to do. Everyone should do what they they are comfortable with, and I'm never one to preach, but I felt really positive and really good about myself."

(Getty Images)

However, Kim remains upset that private images of her were leaked online earlier this year.

(Getty Images)

She told the January issue of ELLE UK magazine: "I feel violated because these are private pictures. I didn't choose for them to be out there. But I'm also realistic. I'm on covers of magazines practically naked, so I can't go crazy about it. The only choice I can make is to not let it shake me up. I'm not having that choice taken away from me."

Khloe to pose for Playboy?

Khloé Kardashian is reportedly keen to pose for Playboy magazine and wants a $1 million pay out for the photoshoot.

(Instagram)

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star has reportedly "dreamed" about following in the footsteps of her sister, Kim Kardashian West, by posing nude for the magazine.

(Instagram)

An insider revealed to the US edition of OK! Magazine: "Khloé is dying to prove she's just as hot as her sisters. She thinks her curves are a perfect fit for a men's mag and being in Playboy has always been a dream of hers.

"She wants to cause shock waves when she reveals her new body."

(Instagram)

The 30-year-old television personality is believed to have asked for a $1 million pay out for her photo shoot and has been working long hours in the gym and sticking to a strict diet regime to prepare.

Meanwhile, Khloé recently revealed that her favourite exercise is boxing and enjoys taking part in the activity alongside her sisters.

(Instagram)

She said previously: "I love to box. Boxing is really fun, and it's such a stress reliever. I'm just so busy having fun, I forget that I'm working out; 45 minutes go by and I'm dripping wet.

(Instagram)

"We do a lot of workouts together, my sisters and I, and we go on a lot of hikes and walks outside. I never like doing the same workout two days in a row, I just get bored. I'll try anything except surfing. I won't go in the water. I'm terrified of whales and sharks. I'll go in a pool, though.

"I've definitely become obsessed with working out! It's funny, because my weight has always fluctuated - but recently so many people have been saying: 'You look so good, you've lost all this weight'. It's actually been about a year and a half that I've been making a lifestyle change. There's no quick fix, I would say."

Kim's wedding photo makes Instagram history

Kim Kardashian West's wedding photo has made Instagram history after totting up 2.4 million likes - the most ever received by an image on the picture-sharing site.

(Instagram)

The shot of the reality TV star and her husband, rapper Kanye West, have made history on the social media site after a photograph of them sharing a smooch while tying the knot in Florence, Italy, on May 24 attracted a huge 2.4 million 'likes'.

(Instagram)

The romantic photo captures the newlyweds enjoying one of their first kisses as a married couple, with Kim showing off her curvaceous figure in a white lace Givenchy gown and Kanye dressed smartly in a black tuxedo and bow tie.

The site - which attracts over 200 million people sharing 65 million pictures a day - revealed a black and white photo of 'Boyfriend' hitmaker Justin Bieber and his on/off girlfriend Selena Gomez came in at a not-so-close second with 1.9 million likes.

An image of former Disney stars Ariana Grande and Miley Cyrus, in which Ariana plants a kiss of the 'Wrecking Ball' singer's cheek, came in third place with a huge 1.84 million.

(Instagram)

The site also shared its most tagged UK locations for 2014 with London's iconic landmarks Tower Bridge, the Tower of London and luxury department store Harrods making up the top three.

However, the United Kingdom was noticeably absent from the site's top three global locations - Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California and Times Square in New York City.

Kanye 'controls' Kim to 'protect' her

Kanye West "controls" his wife Kim Kardashian West to "protect" her according to Kanye's step-brother Hal Carmichael.

(Getty Images)

The 'bound 2' hitmaker "constantly worries" about his wife and their 17-month-old daughter North so does everything he can to keep them safe, says his step-brother, Hal Carmichael.

In an interview with new issue of heat magazine, Hal said: "Kanye constantly worries about Kim and North because he knows the kidnap risk is high.

(Bang)

"Because of the lifestyle they lead, he has to think about it carefully nowadays.

(Getty Images)

"Kanye controls Kim, like where she travels and what she does, to protect her. He thinks the more the public see of them, the more at risk they are."

Kanye knows Kim's job requires her to be in the public eye, but he tries to limit the people around them in a bid to keep them extra safe.

(Getty Images)

Hal added: "Kanye and Kim want to be the next big power couple and that comes from exposure.

"Kim being on television is a compromise, but Kanye knows that's her career and he'll support her.

(Getty Images)

"Kanye keeps his inner circle tight - with North she'll only be looked after by her grandmother Kris [Jenner] or her aunties.

"They have a nanny as well, but North is kept around family. Kanye does this to protect her."

(Bang)

And even when they visit their relatives, the couple are still accompanied by two security guards.

Hal - whose mother Cheryl married Kanye's dad Ray in 1997 - said: "They always have two security guards with them. Even when he went to our sister's last month, he took them with him and they drive around in armoured cars."

French Montana to marry Khloe?

Getty

French Montana is reportedly planning to propose to Khloe Kardashian after her divorce from Lamar Odom is finalised.

The 30-year-old rapper - who began dating Khloe earlier this year - has reportedly been shopping for engagement rings and is hoping to pop the question to the 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star once her divorce from her estranged husband Lamar Odom is finalised.

Getty

A source told Hollywood Life: "He wants to propose to her after she and Lamar [Odom] are done.

"He's been looking at rings."

The news follows reports that the 30-year-old beauty's family are urging her to end her relationship with the 'Don't Panic' hitmaker, in spite of her 'really strong feelings' for him and have even accused him of cheating on her during a recent trip to Dubai with Khloe's sister Kim.

Getty

However, the

French also recently claimed he would refuse to sign a prenuptial agreement if he were to marry Khloe after it took him two years and $2 million to finalise his divorce from ex-wife Nadeen Kharpouch.

He said: "I just settled a divorce and gave somebody money."

He added that there would be "no prenups" if he and Khloe decide to tie the knot.

Kim, Kanye's divorce rumours

Getty

Kanye West only skipped a dinner - give him a break!

The rapper skipped a family Thanksgiving with the Kardashians and was spotted without Kim and baby North dining at Ralph Lauren's restaurant in Paris with two male friends Thursday.

And can you believe it - this sparked Kim and Kanye's divorce rumours.

Reports suggested Kim Kardashian and Kanye West's divorce is coming. Apparently Kim's Thanksgiving Twitter message implicitly excluded Kanye from her family, shows the marriage is on its last legs.

It seems Kanye has been complaining about Kris nonstop to Kim and she cannot take much more. He criticizes Kim for still letting Kris Jenner run the show, claiming she has too much power.

These two are one of the busiest celebrities and are bound to be away from each other. Assuming they are on divorce track only because they couldn't make it to the dinner table together is a bit far-fetched.

Kimye to strip this time

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are reportedly keen to do a nude photoshoot together, after Kim recently posed naked for Paper magazine.

(Getty Images)

The couple are reportedly keen to pose naked alongside each other, after the 34-year-old 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star recently stripped off for a photo shoot with Paper magazine.

A source revealed that Kanye was so "inspired" by his wife's decision that he has already organised and commissioned a "gallery-worthy" portrait of the couple.

(Getty Images)

The source explained that Kanye thinks his wife looks "sexier than ever" and believes that now is the "perfect time" for the pair to conduct the shoot.

The insider also added that the couple - who have 17-month-old North together - would be happy to show the picture off.

(Getty Images)

The source told the US version of OK! Magazine: "There's going to be a big reveal party once it's done!"

(Paper magazine)

Meanwhile, a source close to the 37-year-old 'Stronger' hitmaker recently revealed that Kanye is "obsessed" with the photographs from Kim's shoot with Paper magazine and wants to put them up on the walls of their Los Angeles home.

"He bows down to her each day."

Kanye delays flight; doesn't say sorry

Hip-hop superstar Kanye West was responsible for delaying a flight from Paris to Helskini.

The hip-hop superstar was travelling from Paris, France to Helsinki, Finland yesterday morning and despite boarding the plane late, he declined the chance to apologise for holding up the other passengers.

(Getty Images)

An eye witness explained: "The whole flight was waiting on one of those buses that ferries passengers from the gate to the plane. Kanye and his assistant boarded in a huff.

"The assistant sprinted to the bus from the gate with all of the travel documents, while Kanye walked casually behind him. They did not apologise for keeping everyone."

When the 37-year-old rapper - and husband of Kim Kardashian West - finally took his seat, he also refused to have his photo taken with a European couple.

(Getty Images)

The source told the New York Post's Page Six column: "He initially seemed to say yes, but then pointed at the line of passengers behind them waiting to board and declined ... mostly through hand gestures. He was almost mute. He was not talkative at all."

However, Kanye's mood seemed to improve in time.

The insider said: "When another couple passed his seat, the man said, 'Hi Mr. West,' causing Kanye to look up. The man continued, 'I really liked your album, 'Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger' - I mean, 'College Dropout'. It gave me confidence in college.'

"When the fan offered a fist bump, Kanye paused briefly before returning the bump and telling him, 'Thanks.'"

Kim's daring Dubai stunts

Instagram

Kim Kardashian lived the high life in the UAE while was she promotes her new fragrance, Fleur Fatale.

The reality star decided to rev things up a notch when she headed out to the Dubai desert for a dune buggy ride with her assistant Steph Shep and a group of friends.

The glamorous star looked totally out of her element and was forced to ditch her usual high heels and bodycon outfits in favour of a flowing cotton dress for the occasion. 

Instagram

Instagram

Instagram

Kendall, Kylie, Khloe get leggy

(Reuters)

Kendall and Kylie Jenner and half-sister Khloe Kardashian made an impact at the American Music Awards on Sunday.

The trio ramped up the glam factor with thigh-skimming gowns as they prepared to present an award at the glitzy ceremony held at the Nokia Theatre in LA.

(Reuters)

Khloe, 30, showed lots of leg in a skintight LBD with asymmetric hemline while her golden brown tresses fell glossy in waves around her shoulders

Kylie, meanwhile, opted for a backless maroon satin gown with ample cleavage show.

(Reuters)

Model of the moment Kendall - who has just been named the new face of Estee Lauder - opted for a halterneck mesh dress which accentuated her statuesque frame.

Her dark brunette locks were styled into an immaculate centre-parting and she sported low-key nude lips.

(Reuters)

The girls later took to the stage to name the winner of the Pop/Rock Female award.

Aniston on Kim's 'Break the Internet'

(AFP)

Jennifer Aniston joked that she was one of the 'original' women who posed nude for a magazine.

The 'Horrible Bosses' star - who exposed her bottom on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine in 1996 - compared herself to Kim Kardashian West, who recently did a naked photoshoot for Paper magazine.

(Paper magazine)

Speaking to Extra! TV, Jennifer quipped: "I was an original, alright? Sorry Kim K."

Jennifer has previously defended reality television stars, admitting that although her career path was different, if they want to become famous that way then they should be allowed to.

(AFP/Getty)

She said: "There's nothing wrong with Kim Kardashian and all those people. If that's how they choose to make a living, more power to them.

"My line of work is different. I want to entertain people."

Kim's post-baby body

Kim Kardashian West believes her body is "even better" since giving birth to daughter, North, 17 months ago.

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star - who had 17-month-old North West in June last year - feels "very confident" about her figure.

She said: "[I have] an even better body after having the baby than I did before.

"I'm very confident about [my body]."

The 34-year-old television personality - who recently posed nude for Paper magazine in a bid to "break the internet" - has hinted that she wants another child.

Speaking about the shoot, she explained: "It was just a little token before I have to go through [pregnancy] again."

Kim also revealed that there were "a few medical difficulties" during her first pregnancy but then jokingly added that it could have been food related too.

She told Australia's 2DAY FM: "Maybe it was [also] the 10 boxes of Krispy Kremes I would eat all the time.

"I'm going to try to control that [next time]."

Meanwhile, earlier this year, Kim revealed she wanted another two children with her 37-year-old husband, Kanye West.

She previously said: "I'm gonna have to go through the pregnancy again, which mine was a really difficult [...] It was a really difficult pregnancy. So, it's tough.

"Of course I would love to have another child. I would love two more, but, we'll see. I'm gonna have one more and see what it's like."

Kim banned from Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken' premiere?

Was Kim Kardashian really banned from attending Angelina Jolie's 'Unbroken' world premiere in Australia?

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

The rumour mills are abuzz with unconfirmed stories, even though Kim herself has denied that she was banned from the premiere. Even the reality TV star's representative has unequivocally denied the speculation.

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

(Getty Images)

Why Benedict laughs at Kim

'Imitation Game' actor Benedict Cumberbatch couldn't stop laughing about Kim Kardashian West during an interview on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'.

(Getty Images)

Benedict Cumberbatch enjoyed a joke about Kim Kardashian West's 'assets' with Jimmy Fallon on Monday.

The 38-year-old actor was reduced to a giggling mess as he joined the talk show host in a game of 'Three-Word Stories' on 'The Tonight Show'.

(AP)

Benedict - who recently got engaged to his long-term girlfriend Sophie Hunter, 36, - could barely hold himself together as he tried to get Jimmy to say the word "booty".

The game - which involves a mystery word with the first player having to use three words to guide the second player to say the mysterious phrase - started off nicely as Jimmy got Benedict to say the word "unicorn".

However, when the time came for Benedict to get Jimmy to say "booty", things turned silly.

The 'Imitation Game' star kicked things off by saying: "You've got to shake..."

(Paper magazine)

To which Jimmy replied: "Shake it off."

Benedict then said: "A beautiful big..."

Prompting Jimmy to quip: "Kim Kardashian's ****!"

(Paper magazine)

Despite all the laughter, Benedict persevered by adding: "Makes lots of..."

As Jimmy joked: "Money for Kanye."

After the giggling about Kim's impressive posterior died down, Benedict went on to discuss his infamous photobomb moment with U2 at the 86th annual Academy Awards in March, revealing it was inspired by one of his close friends.

He said: "I've got a friend Helen who is a huge, life-long fan (of U2), I mean as am I am, but she's like, 'Oh my God they really are [the] soundtrack of my life, please, please, get a photo with them. And I thought, 'Perfect moment for it.' "

Kourtney dumping Scott Disick?

Kourtney Kardashian is reportedly "ready" to dump Scott Disick after their third baby is born.

(Bang)

The 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star has been dating Scott Disick since 2006 and is believed to be keen to end it after their third child is born.

A source revealed to HollywoodLife.com: "Kourtney is due before Christmas, and there's a good chance she'll dump Scott after the holidays.

"Things are not better at all!"

(Bang)

Those tuned into 'Kourtney and Khloe Take The Hamptons' last night saw Scott - who is the father to Kourtney's two other children, Mason, 4, and 2-year-old Penelope - be rushed to hospital after suffering from alcohol poisoning.

An insider revealed that the incident - which happened in July - is "not just a story line".

(Bang)

They told RadarOnline.com: "Unfortunately this is not just a story line for the show - it is something she has been dealing with for years. Kourtney has given him so many chances.

"Scott says he will stop and Kourtney always gives him the benefit of the doubt. But he is still in denial that the problem is as severe as it is.

"Now she is about to give birth and has been holding onto hopes that he is going to stop drinking for good."

Kylie Jenner lips the rumors

Kylie Jenner is on the attack now. She is not backing down as regards all the fuss about her 'plump' lips. "I feel like everyone has been talking about it for months, so I'm kind of sick of it," the 17-year-old told E! at the Kylie Hair Kouture party at James Kendall Salon in Beverly Hills.

She was there to launch her new hair extensions line.

(Instagram)

(Instagram)

Kim's new low; Kendall on a high

Kendall Jenner, 19, has just been named the new face of beauty brand Estee Lauder. This ranks as another major landmark in her burgeoning career as a model.

Less than two weeks after celebrating her birthday, the star made a very big announcement on Saturday that surely cements her status as one of the most in-demand up-and-coming models of her time.

Taking to social media, the 'Keeping Up With The Kardashians' star revealed that she has been named the new face of cosmetics giant Estée Lauder.

She wrote, "I am super excited to announce that I am the new face of @esteelauder!!"

Khloe, 30, has been quick to hail her younger sibling's latest achievement.

Half-sister Khloe Kardashian posted on Instagram: "I am literally jumping up-and-down with pride and joy for my baby sister!!!!! @kendalljenner is the new face of @esteelauder!!! (sic)"

Last month, Kourtney Kardashian described Kendall as her "favourite family member."

Kendall's other sister, Kim's butt made headlines.

But a closer look at that lean waist and booty reveals a tad too much. Now it has been revealed that her pictures have been photoshopped.

As shown in the Paper Magazine, the excess of baby oil and the arch definitely enhance her large back.

(Paper magazine)

The image has been photoshopped 'heavily' to give her a perfect waist and a tight bottom.

While her backside appears even larger than usual, the real issue seems to be her waistline in the photo, which appears unnaturally narrow, which is almost certainly the result of the digital enhancement techniques.

(Paper magazine)

A Virgin Atlantic jet bound from London to Las Vegas turned back and made an emergency landing at Gatwick Airport on Monday after developing a problem with its landing gear.

The airline confirmed the Boeing 747-400, carrying 447 passengers and 15 crew members, landed safely about four hours after it took off. Television images showed the jet on the runway as fire trucks and ambulances waited nearby.

Gatwick said several passengers suffered minor injuries.

The incident caused major disruption to travelers. Gatwick said the airport's only runway would be closed until at least 6 pm (1pm EST) as the Virgin plane was inspected. No flights were departing, and inbound flights were being diverted to other airports.

The airline said the plane undertook ‘a non-standard landing procedure" because of "a technical issue with one of the landing gears’.

The airport said the flight, VS43, took off at about 11.45 am Monday. Flight-tracking websites show it circled off the coast of southwest England before turning back to Gatwick, south of London. It circled near the airport, and photos appeared to show a set of wheels on its right-side landing gear had not fully descended.

Emergency services were on standby for the landing — standard procedure when a plane has to land with a technical problem. The plane's emergency chutes were not deployed and passengers disembarked by stairs.

Passenger Mike Kaufman said the crew remained calm and professional throughout the four-hour crisis.

"Everybody gave the crew a big round of applause when we landed," he told Sky News from the plane. "I can't wait to get into the terminal and have a gin and tonic now."

Dubai developers left no stone unturned as they announced multi-billion dirham master developments and real estate projects that will change the landscape of the emirate in the coming few years.

The biggest of the all was Dubai Holding’s announcement of Dh25-billion Mall of the World, which is set to break ground early 2015. The mall will be completed in different phases that will take 10 years to complete.

As Dubai prepares to host Expo 2020, which will run from October 2020 to April 2021, Dubai Parks and Resorts, a Meraas Holdings’ subsidiary, revealed plans for three theme parks, construction on which has already started.

Damac Properties announced plans for Akoya Oxygen, a 55 million square feet master development that will now have a golf course deigned by Tiger Woods.

Watch out for some of these mega projects below:

# Mall of the World

The first phase of Dh25-billion Mall of the World will overlook Sheikh Zayed Road and will be completed in three years’ time once the ground is broken in 2015, Khalfan Belhoul, Vice President, Strategy, Dubai Holding had announced in October.

The 48-million square feet climate-controlled development will house a shopping mall with an area of eight million square feet, the world’s largest theme park, which will be covered by a glass dome that will be open during the winter months, a wellness dedicated zone, a cultural district and a range of hospitality options comprising 20,000 hotel rooms.

Once completed, the development is projected to become a year-round destination, welcoming around 180 million visitors annually. But phase one is unlikely to have the theme park

Dubai Holding, the developer of the project, will be self-funding 50 per cent of the project, while the remaining 50 per cent will be funded through joint ventures, land sales or strategic alliances.

# Akoya Oxygen
 

In August, Damac Properties launched Akoya Oxygen, a golf-centred project in Dubailand.

Spread over 55 million square feet, it will include residential projects surrounding a championship golf course being designed by Tiger Woods.

It will also feature retail and hospitality products including a five star hotel and a luxury wellness centre featuring yoga programmes, herbal treatments, diet control and exercise; leisure & entertainment offerings, and organic marketplaces.


# Dubai theme parks

In September, Dubai Parks and Resorts, a subsidiary of Meraas Holding,  announced it had started work on its three theme parks -  Motiongate, a Hollywood inspired theme park concept based on major DreamWorks Animation and Sony Pictures; Legoland Dubai, the first Legoland theme park in the Middle East; and Bollywood Parks, an entertainment destination that will showcase the authentic Bollywood movie experience.

The parks are anticipated to be completed by third quarter of 2016 with total estimated number of visits in the first full year of operation (2017) expected to stand at 6.7 million, according to company’s IPO prospectus.

The parks are likely to be linked to Dubai Metro and other rail links in the future.

# Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences

In September, Investment Corporation of Dubai, the investment arm of the Dubai government, and Kerzner International Holdings Limited, an international developer, unveiled Dh5.14 billion Royal Atlantis Resort and Residences on Palm Jumeirah.

Located on the crescent of the Palm, next to the Atlantis resort, the project will include nearly 800 new guest rooms with architecture from Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates and interior design by GA Design.

The 46-storey development will also feature 250 luxury residences, designed by Sybille de Margerie Design. It will have a sky pool that will soar almost 90 metres above the Palm.

The development is to be completed by 2018.

# La Mer, Jumeirah

In September, Meraas Holding launched La Mer, a mixed-use development in the vicinity of Pearl Jumeirah Island in Jumeirah.

The development will spread across 9.5 million square feet of existing and reclaimed land and will comprise four distinct zones - the beach, a leisure and entertainment hub, North Island, and South Island and feature commercial, leisure, residential and hospitality components.

“Our feasibility studies have confirmed that La Mer will be one on the projects which will positively contribute to Dubai's economy and set new global benchmarks for beachfront developments,” Abdulla Al Habbai, Group Chairman, Meraas Holding, said.

The north island and south island of the development will include a residential community that will have 688 apartments and villas along with a 160-key hotel.

# Dubai Creek Harbor at The Lagoons

In November, Emaar Properties and Dubai Holding announced the launch of Dubai Creek Harbor at The Lagoons, a 6.5-million square metre urban district.

The project, located alongside Dubai Creek and adjacent to Ras Al Khor, will comprise 3,664 office units, eight million square feet of retail space, 39,000 residential units and 22 hotels with 4,400 rooms, while the centerpiece will be the ‘Dubai Twin Towers’ that will be the tallest twin towers in the world.
The Lagoons is three times the size of Downtown Dubai, according to Emaar Chairman Mohamed Alabbar.

A Jet Airways flight bound for Kathmandu from Mumbai has made an emergency landing in the Nepali capital after its aircraft caught fire.

The cause of fire on flight 9W268 has been reported as a result of a bird strike.

Eyewitness Pradip Parajuli took to social media to post a picture of a plane on fire, saying: “There was a great noise, accompanied with smoke from the fire around 12.10pm at the Tribhuvan International Airport.”

The airline confirmed the news in a statement, saying: “Jet Airways flight 9W268 experienced a bird ingestion on approach and continued the flight with an uneventful and safe landing.

"The airline engineering team is currently inspecting the aircraft, and once satisfied, will release it for further operations."

According to the airline, all passengers aboard the Boeing B737-800 are safe.

With New Year’s eve and a three-day weekend around the cornerthe Roads and Transport Authority(RTA) has announced its public transportation master plan, involving metro, tram, bus, marine transportation services and taxis, in addition to parking options available in most crowded areas.

RTA is expecting 820,000 riders on New Year’s eve - the most crowded day on the emirate’s public transportation system - and an additional 490,000 riders the next day, according to Maitha bin Adai, CEO of Traffic and Roads Agency at RTA.

Earlier, RTA said a million riders are expected on Dubai Metro during the entire event. Last year, 748,377 riders were recorded using the Metro, of whom 60,815 riders were lifted from Burj Khalifa – Dubai Mall station.

In addition, 618,473 commuters used taxis during that day, while 367,368 taxi passengers were recorded in the evening alone, of whom 16,225 riders were picked up from Burj Khalifa –Dubai Mall Station.

Nevertheless, advice to commuters on New Year’s eve is to make use of public transportation as roads will be equally crowded and parking spaces limited, especially in the Downtown area.

“A team has been formed to manage events comprising a bunch of highly experienced personnel in events held in Dubai; who are capable of coordinating with entities concerned with the running of events, and stand ready to take up required measures and precautions,” said Adel Shakri, Director of Public Transport Systems and Head of Events Management Team at RTA.

Travelling by Metro
 

Dubai Metro will run its services round-the-clock on New Year’s eve. While the Red Line will offer continuous services starting from 5.30am on Wednesday December 31, until 1am on Friday, January 2; the Green Line will offer the same service from 5.50am on Wednesday December 31 up until 12am (midnight) on Friday, January 2.

However, Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station will be closed from 10pm on Wednesday, December 31, until 6am on Thursday, January 1, 2015.

“This has been done to carry out better crowd management in the area,” said Hussein al Banna, the official spokesperson for the New Year’s eve master plan of RTA.

“Commuters can get off at Business Bay station or Financial Center station, from where they can walk to the Downtown area or take a bus free-of-charge, as a dedicated bus fleet will be available at both stations.

“At all other stations there will be an increased metro frequency from 5pm on Wednesday, December 31, up to 5am on Thursday, January 1. During this period Metro will run every 2.5 minutes to serve passengers,” he added.

In addition, commuters boarding or getting off at Business Bay or Financial Center stations will not be required to check in or out, Al Banna explained.

As in previous years, passengers will be able to pass the Metro gate without using their Nol cards. The fare is deducted based on the trip made from one of the two stations, which both fall in the same zone.

Nevertheless, commuters should expect long queues to get in and out the Metro station and crowded Metro trips, especially after the event.

For those planning to cross Sheikh Zayed Road on foot by using the Metro bridge in the area the same should be taken into account, as the queuing is likely to start outside the Metro station. The pedestrian bridge at Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station will be closed at 12am (midnight),” said bin Adai.

On Saturday, Metro services will operate as usual. For the Red Line this means from 5.30am to 12am (midnight), while the Green Line starts operations at 5.50am and continues to 12am (midnight).

Travelling by Tram
 

The newest addition to the public transportation network, Dubai Tram will operate round-the-clock on New Year’s eve, serving passengers in the popular Jumeirah Beach Road (JBR) and Dubai Marina areas as well as areas such as Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Al Sufouh.

Continuous services on Dubai Tram will start from 6.30am on Wednesday 31st December up to 1.30am on Friday January 2nd. The headway of the Tram will be reduced to about 8 minutes, pointed Al Banna out.

On Saturday, Tram services will be as usual, starting at 6.30am and continuing till 1.30am.

Travelling by Bus

The Downtown area will be accessible by bus with additional buses deployed on New Year’s eve. After the event, commuters will be able to board several buses at different locations in the Downtown area and at the surrounding Metro stations.

“We will rely on buses as a prime transit means upon the completion of the New Year’s celebrations at Burj Khalifa-Dubai Mall where 130 buses will be deployed, including 100 articulated buses and 30 standard buses,” said Shakri.

In the Downtown area, dedicated bus and taxi lanes have been formed with stops at places such as Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa, Business Bay, Al Saada Road, and Al Asayel Road, in addition to the Metro stations Business Bay, Burj Khalifa –Dubai Mall and Financial Center (see map).

“These buses provide free shuttle services and allow people to get in and out of the area to connect to Dubai Metro. The 130 buses will be on the move continuously until the area is cleared,” said Al Banna.

Free bus rides will also be provided from Burj Khalifa –Dubai Mall station to Dubai World Trade Center, Jafiliya parking area and the parking yard of Al Wasl Sports Club, where additional parking spaces are available free of charge on the occasion of New Year’s eve (see map).

Although buses will not move between the area and other locations in the emirate, the existing bus routes will be available as usual during the day on Wednesday December 31.

On Thursday, January 1, the operating times of Dubai Bus are as follows:

-      Public Buses and Main Stations (such as Gold Souk, Al Ghubaiba):  from 5am to 12am (midnight);

-      In subsidiary stations (such as Al Qusais, Al Quoz Industrial, Satwa, and Jebel Ali): from 5am to 12am (midnight), except for Route C01; which will be operating around-the-clock?

-      Jebel Ali Bus Station: from 5.40am to 9.47pm;

-      Metro station feeder bus service (at Abu Hail, Al Rashidiya, Mall of the Emirates, Ibn Battuta, Burj Khalifa and Etisalat): from 5.15am to 1.10am (the following day), with the timing of the feeder service matching the timing of the metro service. This service will be the same up to Saturday Jan 3rd.

Intercity buses on Thursday January 1 will run as follows:

-      Main Stations in Dubai (such as Ghubaiba): round-the clock

-      Subsidiary stations in Dubai (such as Sabkha, Union Square): from 5.30am to 12am (midnight)

-      Karama and Deira City Center stations: from 06.10am to 10.15pm

-      Abu Dhabi station: from 5am to 12.40am (the following day)

-      Fujairah station: from 5.55am to 9.30pm

-      Ajman station: from 6am to 10pm

-      Hatta station: from 5.30am to 9.30pm.

Travelling by taxi

All taxis in Dubai will be operative on New Year’s eve round-the-clock. This amounts to a fleet of 8,997 taxis, said Shakri.

“Coordination is in hand with franchise taxi operators (Dubai Taxi, Cars Taxi, Arabia Taxi, National Taxi and Metro Taxi) to ensure the full deployment of the fleet, which currently comprises 8997 vehicles.

“However, no taxis will be deployed in the Burj Khalifa – Dubai Mall area for the security and safety of the public and to ease vehicular congestion in the area, he added.

Instead, a couple of taxi points have been established in the Downtown area; one on Al Saada Road in Business Bay and another one on Burj Khalifa Boulevard, near Dubai Mall (see map).

Further, taxi points have been established at Dubai World Trade Center and the Jafiliya parking area to facilitate those who have come by car (see map).

Travelling over water



Although dedicated marine trips can be arranged to view the fireworks on New Year’s eve , regular services will continue to operate as well.

The services are as follows:

-      The Water Bus will be operating at the Marina Station from 12pm (noon) to 3am, and at the Creek station from 10am to 11pm.

-      The Water Taxi will operate from 9am to 3am.

-      Dubai Ferry services from al Mamzar Station will depart at 4.30pm and 6 pm, from Marina Station at 11am, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, 6pm and 10:00 pm, and from Al Ghubaiba Station at 11am, 1pm, 2.30pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 6.30pm.

-      Diesel-powered abras will run services at the Dubai Creek (Festival City) from 11am to 12am (midnight), while electric-powered abras will operate at Atlantis Hotel from 1 pm up to 1am the following day. At Al Mamzar and Global Village the service will run from 4pm to 1am, while services are suspended at Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall.

On Saturday (Prophet’s birthday) services will be as follows:

-      The Water Bus will operate from Marina Station from 12pm (noon) to 12am (midnight), and from Dubai Creek Station from 10am to 11pm.

-      The Water Taxi will operate from 9am to 10pm.

-      Dubai Ferry will operate journeys from Mamzar Station at 4:30pm and 6pm, from Marina Station at 11pm, 1pm, 3pm, 5pm, and 6:30 pm, and from Al Ghubaiba Station at 11am, 1pm, 2.30pm, 5pm and 6.30pm.

-      Diesel-powered abras will run services on the Dubai Creek at Al Shindagha, Al Ghubaiba, and Al Fahidi stations from 3pm to 11pm, while the electric-powered abras will operate from Atlantis Hotel from 1pm to 9 pm.  At Al Mamzar and Global Village the service will run from 4pm to 1am and at Burj Khalifa Dubai Mall from 4pm to 12am (midnight).

Watch this space for more on traveling by car on New Year’s eve.

Hollywood star Liam Neeson is considering converting to Islam following a working trip to Turkey, according to a British newspaper.

Neeson, 59, told the Sun that the call for prayers in Turkey’s mosques got into his spirit while he was filming in the Muslim country.

"The call to prayer happens five times a day, and for the first week, it drives you crazy, and then it just gets into your spirit, and it's the most beautiful, beautiful thing,' he said.

“There are 4,000 mosques in the city (Istanbul). Some are just stunning, and it really makes me think about becoming a Muslim.”

Neeson said he was reared as a Catholic Christian but added, "every day we ask ourselves, not consciously, what are we doing on this planet? What's it all about?"

Latest:  The plight of a missing Air Asia jet lost over the Java Sea cannot be equated with Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which vanished without a trace in March, Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said Monday.

Australia is leading the search for MH370 which was on a routine flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it disappeared off radars on March 8 with 239 people onboard.

"I think it would be a big mistake to equate what has happened here with MH370," Abbott told Sydney radio station 2GB after budget airline AirAsia said a flight carrying 162 people was missing.

"MH370, as things stand, is one of the great mysteries of our time. It doesn't appear that there's any particular mystery here.

"It's an aircraft that was flying a regular route on a regular schedule, it struck what appears to have been horrific weather, and it's down. But this is not a mystery like the MH370 disappearance and it's not an atrocity like the MH17 shooting down."

MH17, also a Malaysia Airlines flight, was shot down on July 17 over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 people onboard -- among them 38 Australian residents.

"These are very different circumstances to MH370," Hansford told Sydney's 'Daily Telegraph'.

"This plane does not have the range to go very far for a major detour."

Abbott said he was sure that aviation experts would convene to come up with more effective ways to track planes following the events of 2014, to ensure "that we don't just lose planes".

He said Australia would make itself "as available as we can be" to assist Indonesian authorities in the search for the AirAsia plane which was heading to Singapore from Surabaya in Indonesia's east Java when it disappeared in bad weather on Sunday.

An Australian air force AP-3C Orion joined the search early Monday. (AFP)
 

US military shot down Malaysian Airlines flight, says ex-CEO

US military shot down MH370 because they thought it had been hacked and was about to be used in terror attack`, claims former airline boss, Daily Mail reported

Marc Dugain, the former chief executive of now-defunct Proteus Airlines, said the jumbo jet was shot down near a US military base on the remote island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean after it was hacked.

He told Paris Match that islanders in the Maldives near Diego Garcia told him they saw the missing aircraft flying low.

Marc Dugain (Getty Images)

Dugain spoke of a fisherman on a small island who spoke of a 'huge plane' in Malaysian Airline's colours on March 8.

He also said islanders had found an empty fire extinguisher from the plane in the water near Baarah island.

The Senegal-born Frenchman, who is now a successful novelist, also told a radio station he was warned not to investigate MH370 by an intelligence source, who spoke of 'risks' and counselled him to 'let time do its work'.

Malaysia ignored vital information

Malaysian authorities initially rejected evidence with regards to Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 which went missing over 9 months ago.

British satellite company had informed the authorities that the plane was in the southern Indian Ocean and critical days were lost in the search as Malaysia chose to ignore the information.

British sources claim that this vital information was given within 24 hours of the disappearance on March. However, Malaysian authorities rebuffed such findings, The West Australian reported.

Inmarsat also stated  they continued to get a signal every hour from MH370 until 8.19am WA time and  approached Britain's Air Accidents Investigation Branch with its data who realized the significance of this information.

Inmarsat was asked to provide a satellite data link to the Malaysia Airlines fleet.

Signals picked up from its satellite were 38,000km above the Indian Ocean and relayed via a ground station in Perth.

The Malaysian authorities were forced to take the findings seriously when the AAIB teamed with Inmarsat to re-present the MH370 data five days after the Boeing 777 disappeared.

Fresh image of a sonar impression

More than nine months after the ill-fated Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 went missing, a fresh image of a sonar impression of the sea floor has been released by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB).

The picture released by the MH370 investigators is from the southern Indian Ocea, reports MSN.com. 

"The image is a synthetic aperture sonar acoustic image of the seafloor gathered by GO Phoenix," the ATSB said in a statement.

"This is indicative of the resolution and quality of the data and that it is revealing important detail of the seafloor."

The plane carrying 239 people onboard went off the radar on March 8.

'Explosion of lithium batteries cause of crash'

A new theory has now emerged, which suggests that lithium batteries carried by missing Boeing 777 may be have led to an explosion. About 5,000 lithium-ion batteries were loaded in cargo container for the test, reported 'ibtimes.com'.

In a recently released video by US government reportedly shows ‘how susceptible passengers planes are to fires or explosions’ that can be caused by lithium batteries stored in cargo section, the report quoted ‘ABC 10News’.

The test conductors used cartridge heater to ‘simulate a single battery experiencing overheating’. During the test, the heat led to ‘overheating’ of batteries kept close. The temperature rose up to 1,100 degrees resulting in an ‘explosion’ that ‘blew open the container door’.

And if lithium batteries caused the tragedy, then ‘fumes’ from explosion could have spread poison in the air ‘overcoming the crew’, suggests experts, which could have led the plane to fly for hours on autopilot mode before it ended in the Indian Ocean.

However, aviation safety expert Han Weber disagrees. He says, if this were the case, then ‘fire suppression system should have addressed the fire’. Also, if there was fire, the plane would immediately gone down.
 

Families of victims asked to provide DNA samples

Malaysian Airlines has confirmed that police’s forensic team had requested families of MH370 victims to provide their DNA samples, according to a report in Asiaone.

MAS said that their top priority is to "provide care and assistance" to the families of the passengers and crew affected by the MH370 tragedy.
 

Earlier reports: Fresh drift model to help debris search

Australia is working on new drift modelling to expand the geographical area in which wreckage from missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 may come ashore, the Australian search coordinator said on Wednesday.

Initial analysis had suggested that the first debris from the plane could come ashore on Indonesia's Western Sumatra after about 123 days.

"We are currently working ... to see if we can get an updated drift model for a much wider area where there might be possibilities of debris washing ashore," search coordinator Peter Foley told reporters in Perth.

Foley said the research centre was receiving reports at least once a week of debris washed up on the Australian coastline, but none has so far been identified as coming from the missing aircraft.

The drift modelling supplements an ongoing surface and underwater search for the plane, which disappeared over the remote Indian Ocean on March 8, with 239 people on board.

Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) Chief Commissioner Martin Dolan on Tuesday dismissed suggestions there was disagreement among the five groups that make up the international team - America's Boeing Co, France's Thales , US investigator the National Transportation Safety Board and the Australian Defence Science and Technology Organisation - on where to search. (Reuters)
 

This video explains why Malaysian plane is still missing

A video has been released explaining the nitty-gritties involved in the search of the Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370, which went missing almost 8 months ago, Yahoo News reported.

The plane that disappeared in March had 239 passengers on board and was bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur.

The video states, "The search area is a long way from land, the water is very deep and the seafloor is largely uncharted."

Stressing on the ongoing search, "The expert satellite working group - comprised the best international minds in this field - is continually refining analysis of the available data to identify the areas of the highest priority.”

Search for MH370 includes all possible points along the Indian Ocean. They will be focusing on those areas where communication between the plane and a satellite could have taken place.

As the seafloor in the search area is 6km deep and cannot be penetrated by daylight, a detailed underwater search is being carried out,

Towed submersible vehicles fitted with sonar systems are being used in search.

The search is being conducted by the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JAAC), a co-operative effort between Australia, Malaysia and China.

Judith Zielke, Chief Coordinator of JAAC told the New Straits Times last month that the search had begun with the optimism that the plane would eventually be found.

"We are planning for when the aircraft is located. We want to be ready to put in place all that is required at that time," she said.

"We are into the seventh month of the search and we want to be as ready as we possibly can."

Video was released shortly after Malaysian Airlines commercial director Hugh Dunleavy’s statement where he said the MH370 would be announced lost, thereby ending the search.

The comment outraged families of those who had travelled on the ill-fated flight.

Malaysia Airlines later distanced itself from Dunleavy's comments.

Missing jet to be declared 'lost'; families furious

Relatives of MH370 passengers are ‘bewildered’ after a Malaysia Airlines official reportedly said authorities plan to set a date to announce the plane ‘lost’.

Voice370, an association of relatives of passengers onboard the missing plane, said in a statement on Monday that it was ‘bewildered’ by the report last week, reported channelnewsasia. According to an industry source, such a declaration would mean the search would be called off, the report added. 

However, Malaysia Airlines and officials in Australia have denied the reported comments by the carrier's commercial director Hugh Dunleavy.
The official was quoted in a ‘New Zealand Herald’ article as saying that ‘authorities were working to set a date, likely by the year-end, to formally announce the loss of MH370’ that is missing since March 8 with 239 people aboard.

"We don't have a final date but once we've had an official loss recorded we can work with the next of kin on the full compensation payments for those families," he was quoted as saying.

Malaysians fume at MH370, MH17 Halloween

Malaysians have taken offence to Halloween revellers’ use of MH370 and MH17 costumes.

In fact, pictures on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram under the hastags #MH370 and #malaysiaairline invited the wrath of other users as well.

Daughter of MH370 chief steward Andrew Nari compared the images to ‘Malaysians making fun of the World Trade Centre tragedy’, reported news.com.

Chief of the National Union of Flight Attendants Malaysia told the Malay Mail that such acts must be condemned and urged the pictures be deleted.

Social media users termed the pictures ‘tasteless’, ‘insensitive’ and ‘grossly offensive’.

First lawsuit filed in Malaysia over missing fligh

A Malaysian family on Friday sued the government and beleaguered national carrier for negligence in the mysterious disappearance of flight MH370, in what is believed to be the first lawsuit filed over the disaster.

The suit was filed by lawyers on behalf of the two underage sons of Jee Jing Hang, who was on board the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines flight.

Gary Chong, a lawyer for Jee's relatives, said the suit was filed in a Malaysian court on Friday.

The family is suing Malaysia Airlines for breach of contract, saying the deeply troubled carrier failed in its contractual responsibility to deliver Jee to his destination.

The family is also suing Malaysia's government, civil aviation authorities, immigration department and air force for negligence.

"Our clients are after the truth. We have confidence in our judiciary system that this suit will be heard and dealt with fairly," a statement by the family's legal team said.

Chong said the family would seek damages but declined to specify a figure.

MH370 inexplicably disappeared on March 8 with 239 people aboard en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in what remains one of history's great aviation mysteries.

Malaysia's government believes the flight diverted to the far southern Indian Ocean, citing sketchy satellite data, but no trace has been found despite an extensive search.

Neither the government nor airline has revealed any results from investigations launched in the aftermath of the tragedy, and consistently stresses that only recovery of the lost Boeing 777 aircraft will provide full answers.

Some next-of-kin bitterly accuse the government and airline of a bungled response and cover-up, charges that are strenuously denied.

Malaysia's air force came under particular fire after top brass acknowledged military radar had tracked the red-eye flight as it doubled back over Malaysian airspace after diverting.

The air force took no action, saying the radar blip was not considered a security threat.

The chances of success for the lawsuit were not immediately clear.

Aviation experts have told AFP that under international law it is an airline's responsibility to prove it was not to blame for an accident.

The lack of evidence could complicate that task for the carrier.

The airline also has been hammered by the loss in July of flight MH17 - apparently shot down over Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives in another still-unexplained disaster -- and is in dire financial straits as business has dried up.

A state-linked investment fund has directly taken over the airline as part of a rescue plan.

In countries such as China - home to the majority of MH370 passengers - and Malaysia, courts are considered relatively conservative regarding the awarding of damages.

Protocol vs cost vs fading hope...

In the latest allegations by experts on the missing MH370, a pilot and air-traffic management specialist, has claimed that a breach of protocol by authorities made the ongoing search costly, according to The Malaysian Insider report.

The aviation expert also alleged that the Malaysian and Australian authorities could be involved in a cover-up, according to ibtimes.com

Desmond Ross believes that had proper protocol been followed, the search would not have taken this long. She blamed officials’ failure to release recordings from the first hours of the aircraft's disappearance for the delay in finding the plane. She acknowledged that many facts are missing, but many are available and that should be released, she added.
 

Indonesia alert; debris to be given to Australia

Following a suggestion by Australian officials about the possibility of the missing plane’s debris ‘most likely to wash up on the Indonesian coast’, reports state the country is asked to be more attentive.

According to a report in ibtimes, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has ‘issued an alert’ in Indonesia and have advised authorities to pay attention to the appearance of any evidence from MH370.

Meanwhile, Indonesia is yet to confirm if they have discovered any traces from the missing plane, the report quoted The Star.
It is stated that if the Indonesian authorities uncover any related debris, it will be handed over to Australia to be photographed and Boeing will take the investigations further.
 

Wreckage most likely to wash up on Indonesian coast

Wreckage from the missing MH370 is most likely to wash up on the coast of Indonesia and not Australia, according to Australian Transport Safety Bureau officials, reported Independent.

Authorities said they continue receiving regular reports from the public in Australia about the potential wreckage, however, it is much more likely that any wreckage would have drifted the other way.

Australia has asked Indonesian officials to make public any possibility of evidence on its shoreline.
 

Malaysia's defence minister hopeful plane will be found

Latest update:Malaysia's Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Wednesday his country was determined to find missing Flight MH370, as he was briefed by Australian officials leading the complex search deep in the Indian Ocean.

Hishammuddin, who is in the Western Australian port of Fremantle to inspect one of the search ships, the GO Phoenix, said the passengers and crew on board the Malaysia Airlines jet "remain in our thoughts and also in our prayers".

"We must continue to hope because sometimes hope is all we have," Hishammuddin told reporters.

"We will find MH370"

The passenger aircraft was carrying 239 people, about two-thirds of them from China, when it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8. No sign of the Boeing 777 has ever been found despite a massive air and sea search.

The jet is believed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean after inexplicably veering off course.

Hishammuddin was acting transport minister when the plane went missing and led Malaysia's search for the jet before Liow Tiong Lai replaced him in the transport portfolio in June.

During his visit he toured the GOPhoenix, a Malaysian-contracted vessel which is conducting the underwater search using sophisticated sonar systems.

The renewed underwater probe began in early October and more than 1,200 square kilometres (463 square miles) have so far been scoured without

success, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) said.

GO Phoenix is expected to leave for the Indian Ocean search site on Thursday after its resupply in Fremantle.

The Australian-contracted Fugro Discovery departed the port last week and is set to arrive in the search zone Wednesday, said the ATSB, which is

Leading the search

The Chinese survey ship Zhu Kezhen, which has since left the search zone, and the Australian-contracted Fugro Equator have been mapping the seabed since May before the underwater hunt.

The Fugro Equator is expected to finish its seabed mapping duties on Friday before it is outfitted with a sonar system so it can join the underwater search.

Hishammuddin met officials from the Joint Agency Coordination Centre, the Australian agency coordinating information about the search. He said Malaysia was dedicated in its support for the MH370 search.

"All that could have been done to find the plane at this point has been done," he said.

"This is it, the next phase. The search goes on."

Australian scientist's new lead

Seven months into the disappearance of the Malaysian flight MH370, people are questioning the accuracy of information given so far.

The company Inmarsat, which has been giving officials information about the whereabouts of the plane, says in a latest report that it is not completely convinced that the plane is in the ocean…there are too many factors at play to know for sure, according to a report in The Epoch Times.

The aircraft remained operational for at least seven hours after the loss of contact as the satellite terminal continued to transmit messages during this period, it said.

Meanwhile, Aron Gingis, head of the Australian environmental consultancy company Management Consolidated, believes that it is possible to find the missing plane by using ‘contrails’ [condensation trails] techcnology -  examining cloud changes for evidence of vapour trails that form behind aircraft. This process has previously been used to locate shipwrecks in the northern Pacific Ocean, reported ibtimes.

Wife holds on to hope; believes husband is still alive

GO Phoenix 'clueless' at 670 sqkm

Latest update: Australian authorities released their first update on the latest underwater probe for missing flight MH370 Wednesday, saying more than 670 square km had been searched without success.

The Boeing 777, which is believed to have crashed into the southern Indian Ocean after inexplicably veering off course, is now the subject of a renewed underwater hunt far off western Australia.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB), which is leading the search, said the Malaysian-contracted vessel GO Phoenix was continuing to conduct underwater search operations.

The underwater search began on October 6 and followed a survey to map the seabed. About 127,000 square kilometres of the search zone has been mapped so far.

Sophisticated vehicles attached to the ship by tow cables have been programmed to detect the biggest parts of the aircraft likely to be in one piece, such as engines and fuselage.

"GO Phoenix continues to conduct underwater search operations," the ATSB said.

"At one point, operations were halted in order to recover the deep tow vehicle and rectify a cable connection fault. Operations were quickly recommenced."

GO Phoenix is searching the area considered the most likely final resting place of the plane, based on detailed analysis of the aircraft's satellite communications.

A second ship, the Fugro Discovery, is conducting sea trials and is expected to join the search mid next week in the second most likely area, officials have said. [AFP]

Emirates President Tim Clark raises doubts about satellite handshakes

The head of Emirates Airlines, one of the world's largest carriers, said there was no need to improve modern aircraft tracking systems even after a commercial jet disappeared earlier this year, according to ‘Spiegel’ magazine.

The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 on a Boeing 777 jet in March has led to calls for real-time tracking of aircraft, and an airline-industry-led task force is looking at ways of improving tracking.

Tim Clark, president of Emirates Airline, told the German online magazine that modern planes already had the necessary equipment but measures should be taken to ensure pilots can't turn off tracking devices.

"The Boeing 777 is already one of the most advanced planes in the world, with the most modern communications systems," Clark was quoted as saying in an interview published on Thursday.

He said it was already difficult to turn off current tracking systems such as transponders and the ACARS system, which some suspect may have occurred in the case with MH370, but that plane manufacturers should work to make them impossible to switch off.

"We have to ensure that ACARS runs continuously. If that happens, then we can monitor planes over the seas, and then we wouldn't need extra tracking systems."

The task force looking at plane tracking, due to give recommendations in September, said draft proposals would be delayed, possibly until December.

International search efforts have centred around the plane's suspected crash site in a remote part of the Indian Ocean, identified via vague satellite signals, have so far failed to find any trace of the plane. Clark said this was unusual.

"Experience shows that when a plane crashes into water, you can always find something. But in this instance, we haven't found a single scrap of evidence that the plane is there. Just the satellite handshakes, and even those I have my doubts about," he said.

A report published by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau on Wednesday suggested that the underwater search should be prioritised further south within the wide search area it had previously identified.

Clark said Malaysia Airlines faced an uphill struggle in restoring its fortunes after the twin tragedies of MH370 and MH17, which was shot down over eastern Ukraine in June.

"As an industry we have to help the company get back on its feet. But with such a damaged brand, it will be incredibly tough."  

Slow left, spiralling

Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 took a slow left turn as it spiraled into the Indian Ocean after its fuel ran out. That is the conclusion of an interim report concluded Wednesday, pointing investigators towards the southern section the current search zone.

Investigators on Wednesday confirmed that the priority search area for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has moved further south as end-of-flight scenarios indicated it may have spiralled into the Indian Ocean.

Seven months after the Boeing jet disappeared with 239 people onboard, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, leading the hunt for the jet, said ongoing analysis had helped refine the zone where an underwater search began this week.

"The latest analyses indicates that the underwater search should be prioritised further south within the wide search area for the next phase of the search," it said.

Despite an extensive hunt for the plane, which was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing when it mysteriously turned southwards on March 8, no sign of it has been found.

Aviation experts had little to go on besides the satellite communications from the plane, information they have used to pinpoint a search area in the vast ocean off western Australia.

They believe the best hope of finding the plane is within the seventh arc, or the final satellite "handshake" from the plane, estimated to be when it was in descent.

The ATSB said Wednesday that when all elements of the analysis so far were taken into account, it indicated that the aircraft "may be located within relatively close proximity to the arc", although further south than initially thought.

An ATSB report in June had put the priority search zone above an underwater feature named Broken Ridge, more than 2,000km west of Perth. But the new analysis puts it south of this feature, confirming earlier suggestions.

Analysis of the satellite data and end-of-flight simulations was ongoing, and this work could result in further changes to where the search was conducted, the ATSB added.

"The simulator activities involved fuel exhaustion of the right engine followed by flameout of the left engine with no control inputs," it said in an update on the flight path analysis.

"This scenario resulted in the aircraft entering a descending spiralling low bank angle left turn and the aircraft entering the water in a relatively short distance after the last engine flameout."

The analysis of communications and flight data has been used to determine the first underwater areas to be scoured, with the first ship starting its scan of the ocean depths this week.

The Malaysia contracted GO Phoenix is using sophisticated sonar technology experts hope will detect large pieces of debris such as an engines or fuselage. It will be joined two other ships in the weeks ahead.

Black-box alert... What Airbus, Boeing say 

The world's two largest commercial aircraft manufacturers are at odds over equipping airliners with black boxes that eject in the event of a crash, making them easier to find.

Questions about whether airliners should be equipped with deployable black boxes arose after Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared in March. The Boeing 777 with 239 people on board still has not been found. The purpose of the safety board's forum was to explore new technologies that would better enable planes like Flight 370 to be tracked and found.

Airbus is nearly ready to equip airliners with data and cockpit voice recorders that eject so that they can float to the ocean's surface instead of becoming trapped in wreckage, Pascal Andrei, the French aircraft maker's chief product security officer, told a forum of the US National Transportation Safety Board on Tuesday.

Boeing, Airbus' chief rival, has no plans to include such recorders in its planes, Mark Smith, an accident investigator for the aircraft maker, told the safety board. Such recorders are prone to ejecting accidentally and creating a safety risk, he warned.
Black boxes are equipped with an emergency locator transmitter that would be easier to detect if they are floating on the water's surface.

"We can say today that we are quite confident on this solution," Andrei said Tuesday. Airbus is working with its suppliers, he said.
"Something would come very soon after some more studies and assessments," he said.

A slide presentation provided by Andrei indicated Airbus plans to include the deployable recorders in its A350 and A380 airliners, which are designed for long-haul flights over ocean.

For the complete theory click here: Diego Garcia and MH370 conspiracy of 'lost' island in middle of it all

In yet another accident involving an airline, an aircraft belonging to Pakistani private carrier Shaheen Air made an emergency landing and avoided a crash on Tuesday afternoon at Lahore airport.

Carrying 172 passengers, the aircraft’s front-wheel axle broke on landing, veering off the runway and stopping on a grassy area. The flight was coming from Karachi.
An emergency was declared at the Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport with fire-fighting and other civil defence vehicles rushing to the runway.

Actor Imran Arooj, who was on the flight, commended the pilot as he sensed the danger by taking immediate action and managing to stop the aircraft near the runway.
All the passengers were safe.
 
Passengers complain

Arooj told Dunya news channel that the airline’s staff didn’t turn up even after the emergency landing.

Meanwhile, a number of passengers who flew with Shaheen Air in the last couple of weeks have been complaining about their luggage being left behind at Dubai airport.

“We went from Dubai to Lahore on December 19; but when we reached at Lahore airport we were told that our luggage has not come and will reach in the next couple of days. It was not just us but most of the passengers were told the same thing,” said passenger R. Noor  who flew with her two children from Dubai to Lahore.

The luggage, she said, was delivered after one week.

“The passengers shouted at the airline staff, complaining that many of them had come to Pakistan for just a couple of days. They urged the government to take action against the airline,” she said.
 

It may not be surprising to know that Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut is dating, but this time it comes right from the horse’s mouth.

(AFP)

Kangana recently informed the Indian media about her relationship status, "I am in a relationship and enjoying this state."

(AFP)

The 'Queen' however choses to remain silent about who is the lucky man in her life.

She said, "I don’t want to talk about it right now. It's very special to me and I am glad to have found a companion. I hope I get into the position when I can talk about it. Right now, speaking about it would be unfair on the other person. As it is, relationships are difficult, aren’t they?"

(AFP)

The actor has off late been paired with her 'Krissh 3 co-star' Hrithik Roshan.

Katrina hides; Ranbir and Ash celebrate

Bollywood actors Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif have been the talk to of the town, the couple recently hosted a terrace party after moving in together.

Aishwarya Rai, Abhishek Bachchan, Arjun Kapoor and Karan Johar were seen together in the picture of the gathering posted on twitter.

While the stars were all enthusiastic about the event, Katrina seemed to be shying away from the camera. Although, it’s evident that Ranbir and Katrina are in a relationship, the couple has never made it public.

The couple was celebrating the grand opening of  ‘PK’ where Ranbir is seen in a cameo at the end of the  movie.

Shah Rukh no to Bigg Boss

Bollywood’s King Khan does not watch reality show ‘Bigg Boss’. But why? We are yet to learn.

Twitter

However, this at least clears why he did not promote his movie ‘Happy New Year’ on the show, despite patching up with Salman Khan.

The news was broken by his dear friend Farah Khan, who will take the reins from Salman Khan beginning next month.

Twiter

Salman, whose contract will end on January 4, 2015 refused to take an extension as he doesn’t have any free dates as he would be busy with ‘Bajrangi Bhaijaan’.

Farah, a self-confessed ‘Bigg Boss’ fanatic, has been roped in after a couple of other actors, including Anil Kapoor, reportedly said ‘No’ to hosting the show.

(SANSKRITI MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT)

“I am a ‘Bigg Boss’ junkie. I follow all the contestants and I’m thrilled to be hosting it…” Farah also praised Salman calling him a mind-blowing host and said that no one can take his place.

And…she is confident of making Shah Rukh Khan start watching the show, as well. “SRK doesn’t watch Bigg Boss. But if I am hosting, I will make sure he watches it.”

Kareena to play Salman's ex-girlfriend?

After Milkha Singh and Mary Kom, cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin's life is all set to be explored on silver screen.

(Getty Images)

According to the latest buzz, Kareena Kapoor is set to play the role of Sangeeta Bijlani in the Emraan Hashmi-starrer.

A leading publication quoted a close source as saying, "It all depends on how much space the script has created for the female protagonist.

(Getty Images)

"At this juncture in her career, Kareena is not interested in playing the supporting female lead. She did do so in 'Singham Returns' this year. But that was more because Rohit Shetty is a dear friend.

"She is interested in doing the Azharuddin biopic because she hasn't done any biopics yet. She has also not worked with Emraan Hashmi so far.

(Getty Images)

"It all depends on the length of the role. She will be hearing the script from director Tony d'Souza as soon as she returns from her annual vacation in Gstaad in Switzerland."

Anushka, Virat living in together?

Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma and Indian cricketer Virat Kohli have spilled the beans about their relationship to the media.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

Now reports in Indian media suggest that the 'PK' actress has decided to live in with her cricketer boyfriend.

(Getty Images)

It is believed that the couple are serious about each other and have organically taken the next step in their relationship with the decision of living together.

They don't shy away from being spotted together or being clicked anymore.

(Getty Images)

It has been reported earlier that Virat often stayed with Anushka whenever he visited Mumbai.

Anushka can't stop talking about Virat

Actress Anushka Sharma has been making headlines not just for her upcoming movie 'PK' opposite Aamir Khan but her love life with cricketer Virat Kohli.
 
She has not been holding back about her romance with Kohli in all her interviews.

And this time the 26-year-old actress is doing the rounds of media with her statement on Kohli's performance during the 1st test between India and Australia.

The actress gave out a statement saying, "I think he is making the entire nation proud and we all should be proud of him and this whole moment."

Indian Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma attends the launch of the official mobile game for the upcoming Hindi film "PK" in Mumbai on December 12, 2014. AFP

Earlier, the actress admitted she's dating cricketer Virat Kohli. Anushka said that her relationship with Virat Kohli is very "pure" and she doesn't want to defile it, by making it gossip for people.

Like Virat, the actress who will be soon seen in PK, said, "We are not hiding anything." Anushka added, "We are two normal young people in a relationship."

Ranveer Singh, Deepika's twitter romance

"Don't we look great together?" ;) #leelajaisikoinahi #4YearsOfRanveerSingh.

That's how Ranveer Singh decided to celebrate his completion of four years in Bollywood - tweeting picture of Deepika Padukone and himself.

(Twitter)

Ranveer has seized the opportunity offered by the flurry of behind-the-scenes photos posted on his Instagram to mark his fourth year in Bollywood to include a picture of his 'Ram-Leela' co-star Deepika Padukone, cheekily hinting that rumours of an off-screen romance may be true.

This picture speaks 1000 words - many more than any statements and clarifications.

It is the closest the actor has come to confessing to a relationship with Deepika.

(AFP)

Deepika on her part till now remained diplomatic when asked about Ranveer.

Well the public scrutiny is unlikely to stop now, more so after this tweet.

Sunny Leone scared of co-star?

Actor Sunny Leone apparently refused to shoot after her co-actor Mohit Ahlawat created a ruckus on the sets.

(Facebook)

The two actors were shooting for Bobby Khan's film 'Leela'.

Mid-Day reports that Mohit flew into a rage after seeing the way a person was talking to Sunny. He was so infuriated that he allegedly slapped the concerned person.

(Facebook)

Unit sources state Leone was petrified seeing Mohit's outburst. She then insisted that her husband Daniel Weber accompany her for the shoot.

She even refused to step out of the vanity van until her security was ensured. Sunny even told the makers that she won't shoot till her husband arrived on the sets.

(Facebook)

While Sunny remained unavailable for comment, producer Bobby Khan downplayed the event.

Ranbir-Kat London plans

It's that time of the year when the paparazzi has some spicy stories up on their sleeve to report, as the film stars go about painting various towns of the world red and 'redder'.

B Town's famous couple Ranbir Kapoor and Katrina Kaif always manage to top the headlines, either for their live in relationship or being captured by the shutterbugs in parties.

And this time they are in news for their New Year's special plans.
 
As per media reports Ranbir and Katrina will celebrate New Year in London this time.

Since past few years, they have been celebrating it in New York. The destination is London because, Katrina's mother resides in the city and Ranbir intends to spend some days with her. Katrina was willing to celebrate New Year with family.
 
Also the rumours are rife that Ranbir is going to discuss his wedding plans with Katrina's mom on this occasion. Earlier the Kapoor boy has introduced her mother Neetu Kapoor to Katrina's mother in London.
 
Seems like the wedding is on cards soon.

Salman Khan and Lulia Vantur parting ways

Salman Khan is at it again. Only this time, according to the latest gossip on masala.com, he is sad.

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)

His (alleged) girlfriend Lulia Vantur has to return to Romania to renew her Indian visa.

The rumours are that Salman and team have worked hard to try and get her papers done without her leaving.

(Twitter)

Why?

She will miss being here for his birthday at the end of December.

Salman Khan's apology to Katrina Kaif

Salman Khan created quite a stir when he addressed his ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif as 'Kapoor' at the wedding party of his sister Arpita Khan.

Salman also joked that Katrina had lost her chance of becoming a 'Khan' (refering to their affair).

A video clip that showed the entire eppisode went viral on social networking sites.

News had it that Katrina was not too pleased with this, though boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor laughed it off.

However, after realising the damage he had caused, Salman was quick to apologise.

He did not realise that a carefree comment could cause so much trouble for KAtrina.

He therefore rushed to Katrina's home personally and apologised for the harm caused.

Shah Rukh, Aishwarya on remake trail

AFP

Indian media is abuzz with news that Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will reunite for director Rohit Shetty's next project.

The movie is a remake of the classic Kishore Kumar- Madhubala starer - 'Chalti ka Naam Gaadi'.

AFP

Shah Rukh and Aishwarya spun magic in 'Devdas' and fans will be looking forward for this remake.

Kajol was earlier approached for the lead role opposite SRK, but things didn't work out.

Priyanka's property used to run brothel

Priyanka Chopra, who had rented out a 3000 sqft property to a spa in Mumbai suburb, ran into trouble over a sex racket.

To the actress' horror, the Mumbai Police recently busted a sex racket being run under the garb of a spa on a floor of a building owned by her.

According to a report in Mid-Day, three women were rescued and manager was arrested in the on November 7 raid while the spa owner is on the run.

The women have been sent to a rehab centre.

The actress has now sent a notice to the spa owner. According to a website, the actress, in addition to sending the notice has cancelled the lease for the entire floor of the building.

Karan to bring Ranbir, Aishwarya together?

Last week news of Aishwarya Rai and Aamir Khan's first film together was floating all over.

(Getty Images)

But now the recent reports claim that Ranbir Kapoor will be seen sharing screen space with Aishwarya in Karan Johar's next directional venture.

(Getty Images)

A leading publication in India reports that the film will also have Anushka Sharma paired opposite the actor.

(Getty Images)

Ranbir and Anushka would be romancing each other in their next film 'Bombay Velvet' and this would be their second film together.

Aishwarya was earlier said to be making her much-awaited comeback with 'Jazbaa'.

Katrina unhappy with Salman Khan?

Twitter

We all heard of the incident when Salman, during Arpita Khan's wedding in Hyderabad, called Katrina, 'Kapoor' instead of Kaif.

Soon a video emerged, which went viral, showing Salman pulling Katrina's leg. The actor said, "I gave you a chance to become Katrina Khan, but you chose to be 'Katrina Kapoor'!"

It seems like Salman Khan's comment on Katrina didn’t go down well with the 'Bang Bang' actress.

The actress also gave Arpita's wedding reception on Nov 21 a miss.
 
If reports in Indian media are to be believed, Miss Kaif was completely embarrassed by Salman's comment in front of all the guests.

Twitter

She is also unhappy about the fact that other's had fun at her expense.
 
But Katrina's spokesperson says, "The news is not true at all, Katrina was out of town for a shoot on the day of reception in Mumbai. The reception was for those who couldn’t make it to Hyderabad."

Salman Khan serious about Iulia Vantur?

After Sangeeta Bijlani, Somy Ali, Aishwarya Rai and Katrina Kaif, Salman Khan is once again introducing a lady as his "girlfriend".

At his sister Arpita Khan's wedding Salman Khan and Iulia Vantur were always together.

There have been rumours linking him to Jacqueline Fernandez and Daisy Shah, but the fact is that Salman is in love with Iulia.

She is very comfortable with his family too. Reportedly, Salman introduced the diva as ‘Meet my girl’ at his sister’s wedding.

Back in Mumbai, Iulia is staying in a 5-star hotel in Bandra, which is a stone's throw from Salman's apartment.

What's troubling Aishwarya Rai?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan looks on during a photocall to mark her birthday in Mumbai. (AFP)

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is making a come back to movies after her sabbatical with Sanjay Gupta's thriller 'Jazbaa'.

Ash is also in talks with Vipul Shah and Karan Johar.

Now we hear the actress has been offered one each by Prakash Jha and Sujoy Ghosh.

(AFP)

However, the latest offers have left the actress in a fix.

According to reports, Aishwarya has been approached for both Sujoy Ghosh's 'Durga Rani Singh' and Prakash Jha's 'Ganga Jal 2'.

Strong author-backed roles as female protagonists in two cops films, but naturally she cannot do both films for similarity of the theme.(AFP)

Notably, 'Durga Rani Singh' has been tossed around amongst several other big league Bollywood actresses like Vidya Balan, Kangana Ranaut and Kareena Kapoor.

Sujoy apparently turned to Aishwarya after Kareena Kapoor refused to play a mother to a growing daughter.

Ranbir not invited to Salman's sister's wedding?

Salman Khan's sister Arpita Khan's November 18 wedding is the talk of the town.

(AFP)

The Khan family has come together to make it a grand affair. Invitation cards have been sent out and the last minute preparations are on.

(AFP)

The entire film industry has been invited to take part in their celebrations.

(AFP)

Ex-girlfriend Katrina Kaif, actor Aamir Khan along with wife Kiran Rao, filmmaker Karan Johar, rival Shah Rukh Khan are expected to attend the ceremony.

(AFP)

But a certain Indian website reports that Ranbir Kapoor has been left out from the guest list.

(AFP)

The report suggests, Salman has sent an invite to Kapoor family, but hasn't mentioned Ranbir's name in the list.

Worth mentioning, it is Ranbir Kapoor who stole Katrina Kaif from Salman.

(AFP)

It will be interesting to see if Kapoor boy's lady love Katrina will attend Arpita's wedding without him.

Aishwarya, Aamir in Karan Johar's next?

Aishwarya Rai Bachchan will be next seen in Sanjay Gupta's 'Jazbaa'.

But the actress has also signed couple of other projects.

Now reports suggest that Aishwarya will soon be working with filmmaker Karan Johar.

Karan has offered Aishwarya a role and the actress who is on a comeback trail has agreed.

The director also hopes to rope in Aamir Khan as the lead actor.

If everything falls in place, this will be the first time Ash and Aamir will come together on-screen.

Ranveer Singh has an 'alternative' to Deepika?

Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone attend a promotional event for their forthcoming Hindi film 'Ram-Leela' in Mumbai. (AFP)

While promoting 'Kill Dil', Ranveer Singh was unaware that his phone, which was kept aside, was ringing.

However, members of the media and those present at the venue saw a unique name flashing on Ranveer’s phone.

Ranveer Singh & Deepika Padukone (AFP)

According to reports, the phone's screen flashed — 'Deepika Alternative' and left those around him quite surprised.

Ranveer was committed to finish the interaction and did not pick up the call from 'Deepika Alternative' at that point in time.

Many kept wondering whether it was really Deepika Padukone or some other contact is not known.

(AFP)

However, talking to a website in India Singh cleared the controversy saying, "This is really silly. I have two numbers of Deepika. One I have saved it as Deepika and the other I have saved it as Deepika Alternative. It is as simple as that."

(Sanskriti Media and Entertainment)
 
In fact, Ranveer also says that he has saved 'Kill Dil' co-star Parineeti's number in the same fashion.

We just hope there is actually not alternative to Deepika!

Alia Bhatt's naughty confession on Hrithik

Actress Alia Bhatt is turning out to be a daddy's (Mahesh Bhatt) girl when it comes to speaking her mind aloud.

The actress makes no pretentions and has always been vocal about her male fascinations.

She had earlier revealed that she found Ranbir Kapoor very adorable and expressed her desire to marry him on the popular chat show, 'Koffee with Karan'.

After the confession Alia is now working in a movie where she can romance Ranbir.

Now, in one of her recent interviews when Alia was asked which actor she'd want to get naughty with. To this, the star kid candidly admitted, "Hrithik Roshan! He's single now, na?"

Looks like Alia wants to take full advantage of Hrithik's single-hood.
 
Last year, while inaugurating an art gallery Alia confessed that she would love to capture Hrithik Roshan on a canvass as he looks like a Greek God.

Hrithik is now legally separated from his wife Sussane Khan. And his single status has become the talk of the town.

LATEST REPORT: Relatives of passengers on AirAsia flight QZ8501 began crying hysterically and fainting on Tuesday as Indonesian television footage showed a body floating in the sea during aerial searches for the plane.

At least two distraught family members were carried out on stretchers from the room where they had been waiting for news in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city -- the take-off point for the aircraft that disappeared during a storm on Sunday.

"My heart will be totally crushed if it's true. I will lose a son," 60-year-old Dwijanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP.

Government security officials carry a family member of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 after she collapsed at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, December 30, 2014. (Reuters)

More than 48 hours after the Airbus A320-200 lost contact carrying 162 people to Singapore, aerial searchers spotted items in the Java Sea which officials said were from the plane.

As the first body was shown floating in the water on rolling television news, relatives burst into tears and hugged one another amid cries for more ambulances, said an AFP reporter at the scene.

One man covered his face and had to be held up by two other men before he fainted and was taken out by stretcher. Another woman was screaming and crying as she was supported by the mayor of Surabaya.

A female AirAsia officer shouted at the television media for showing footage of a floating body, while about 200 journalists were barred from the room holding the families, the windows of which were boarded up.

"Is it possible for you not to show a picture of the dead? Please do not show a picture of a dead body," said the officer. "That's crazy."

'Now there is some closure'

Munif, a 50-year-old whose younger brother Siti Rahmah was on the plane, said he had been trying hard to keep the other families calm.

Members of the Search and Rescue Agency SARS carry debris recovered from the sea presumed from missing Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ 8501 at Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, December 30, 2014. (Reuters)

"But the atmosphere was very different after the footage of a dead body was shown. Families became hysterical," he said.

"Because everyone was wailing and yelling, I couldn't deal with it so I decided to leave the room."

Agus Panjaya, 36, had six relatives on the plane but was prepared for bad news.

"Of course we feel sad about our loved ones but we had prepared ourselves for the worst," said the businessman, who lost his 80-year-old grandmother Go Indree, along with his aunt and uncle and their three children.

"Before this everything was unclear. At least there is now some form of closure. For the past three days, we were really sad. We couldn't sleep well," he told AFP.

Panjaya said he was going to wait in Surabaya for the bodies.

"We don't think of compensation at the moment. As long as the bodies are being brought back, we are already grateful. That's what we are thinking right now," he said.

In Malaysia, families of those on the MH370 flight that went missing without a trace in March hoped those lost in the latest tragedy could at least have a proper burial.
"The families can now have a closure and have a peace of mind which I am dying for," said Selamat Omar, whose 29-year-old son was on the Malaysia Airlines plane.

EARLIER REPORT

Indonesian rescuers searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday, prompting relatives of those on board watching TV footage to break down in tears.

Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus  A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

The navy said 40 bodies had been recovered. The plane has yet to be found.Members of the Indonesian air force carry items retrieved from the Java sea during search and rescue operations for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

"My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501," airline boss Tony Fernandes tweeted. "On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am."

The airline said in a statement that it was inviting family members to Surabaya, "where a dedicated team of care providers will be assigned to each family to ensure that all of their needs are met".

Pictures of floating bodies were broadcast on television and relatives of the missing already gathered at a crisis centre in Surabaya wept with heads in their hands. Several people collapsed in grief and were helped away.

"You have to be strong," the mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, said as she comforted relatives. "They are not ours, they belong to God."

A navy spokesman said a plane door, oxygen tanks and one body had been recovered and taken away by helicopter for tests.

"The challenge is waves up to three metres high," Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, head of the Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters, adding that the search operation would go on all night. He declined to answer questions on whether any survivors had been found.

About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have been involved in the search.

Family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 react after watching news reports showing an unidentified body floating in the Java sea, inside the crisis-centre set up at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

The plane, which did not issue a distress signal, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather because of heavy air traffic, officials said.

It was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet, officials said earlier.

Pilots and aviation experts said thunderstorms, and requests to gain altitude to avoid them, were not unusual in that area.

The Indonesian pilot was experienced and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, the airline said.

The aircraft had accumulated about 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

A member of the Indonesian air force carries an item retrieved from the Java sea during search and rescue operations for the missing AirAsia flight, in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.

Clues when things go wrong

The plane, whose engines were made by CFM International, co-owned by General Electric and Safran of France, lacked real-time engine diagnostics or monitoring, a GE spokesman said.

Such systems are mainly used on long-haul flights and can provide clues to airlines and investigators when things go wrong.
Reuters

EARLIER REPORT:  Indonesian officials tell local TV 'victims' spotted near site where Air Asia plane disappeared, reported AP.

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of Air Asia, took to social media to express his grief, saying: “My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am.”

Fernandes stated he is rushing to Surabaya.

Earlier, an Indonesian transport official said that the red and white debris spotted off the coast of Indonesia's part of Borneo island is likely to be part an Air Asia plane carrying 162 people which is presumed to have crashed two days ago.

Media quoted an air force official as saying a suspected body, luggage and a life vest were among the debris.

"As we approached, the body seemed bloated," said First Lieutenant Tri Wibowo, who was on board a Hercules during the search operation, was quoted by the Kompas.com website as saying.

The sighting of the body was not confirmed. (Reuters)
 

Pilots could not get OK to change course

Pilots sought permission to climb above threatening clouds. Air traffic control couldn't say yes immediately — there was no room. Six other airliners were crowding the airspace, forcing Air Asia Flight 8501 to remain at a lower altitude.

Minutes later, the jet carrying 162 people was gone from the radar without ever issuing a distress signal. The plane is believed to have crashed into Indonesia's Java Sea, but broad aerial surveys on Monday turned up no firm evidence of the missing Airbus A320-200.

Family members of passengers of missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, hours after the news the flight went missing. (AFP)

Searchers spotted two oily patches and floating objects in separate locations, but it was not known any of it was related to the plane that vanished Sunday halfway into what should have been a two-hour hop from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore. The area is a busy shipping lane. Officials saw little reason to believe the flight met anything but a grim fate.

An AirAsia Airbus A320 passenger jet lands at Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta in this January 30, 2013 file picture. An AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on December 28, 2014 Indonesian media said, citing a Transport Ministry official. (REUTERS)

Based on the plane's last known coordinates, the aircraft probably crashed into the water and "is at the bottom of the sea," Indonesia search-and-rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo said. Still, searchers planned to expand their efforts onto land on Tuesday.

The last communication from the cockpit to air traffic control was a request by one of the pilots to climb from 32,000 feet (9,754 meters) to 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) because of the weather. The tower was not able to immediately comply because of the other planes, said Bambang Tjahjono, director of the state-owned company in charge of air traffic control. (AP)
 

Indonesia asks US help in finding missing plane

The State Department said Monday that Indonesia has asked the United States for help in locating a missing Air Asia jet, and the Pentagon said it could include detection equipment deployed by air, surface and sub-surface.

The Navy's 7th Fleet said it is sending the USS Sampson, a destroyer. The Pentagon said it could include detection equipment deployed by air, surface and sub-surface.

The jet carrying 162 people is believed to have crashed into Indonesia's Java Sea. The State Department says no Americans were on board.

The US Embassy in Jakarta received a diplomatic note from Indonesian officials on Monday asking for assistance finding the plane. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke says the US is identifying how best to help.

The Pentagon's press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said in a brief statement that while details are being coordinated, the assistance "could include air, surface and sub-surface detection capabilities."

"We stand ready to assist in any way possible," Kirby said.

AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished Sunday morning on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.

Object spotted in sea not from AirAsia plane: Indonesian VP

An object spotted during a sea search for an AirAsia plane was not from the aircraft, Indonesia's vice president said on Monday, after reports that an Australian surveillance aircraft had found something.

"It has been checked and no sufficient evidence was found to confirm what was reported," Jusuf Kalla told a press conference at Surabaya airport from where the ill-fated plane departed.

Kalla said there were 15 ships and 30 aircraft searching the area.

A Changi Airport staff holds up a sign to direct possible next-of-kins of passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, at Changi Airport in Singapore December 28, 2014. Indonesia's Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the aircraft, flight number QZ 8501, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower on Sunday at 6:17 a.m local time (2317 GMT). The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said. (REUTERS)

"It is not an easy operation in the sea, especially in bad weather like this," he said.
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told AFP the search was now focused on a patch of oil spotted off Belitung island in the Java Sea.

"We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line," he said.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia have deployed planes and ships to assist in the Indonesian search for Flight QZ8501, which disappeared over the Java Sea on Sunday en route to Singapore. (AFP)

Australian plane spots objects in sea

An Indonesian official says objects have been spotted in the sea by a search plane hunting for the missing AirAsia jet.

Jakarta's  Air Force base commander Rear Marshal Dwi Putranto says he was informed on Monday that an Australian Orion aircraft had detected suspicious objects near Nangka island, about 160km southwest of Pangkalan Bun, near central Kalimantan, or 1,120km from the location where the plane lost contact.

Passengers wait at the AirAsia check-in counter inside terminal 1 at Changi international airport in Singapore on December 28, 2014. AirAsia flight QZ8501 with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year. (AFP)

"However, we cannot be sure whether it is part of the missing AirAsia plane," Putranto says, "We are now moving in that direction, which is in cloudy conditions."

Air Asia plane likely 'at bottom of sea': Indonesia search chief

The Air Asia plane which went missing with 162 people on board en route for Singapore is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief said Monday.

"Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea," Bambang Soelistyo told a press conference.

"That's the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search."

Meanwhile, in its latest statement the carrier said: "AirAsia Indonesia has received confirmation from The National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (Basarnas) that an international search and rescue mission from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia has been mobilized in the search of flight QZ8501.”

Also Read:

Air Asia plane has tyre problem in Philippines

Missing Air Asia plane: A link to earlier crashes?

EARLIER STORIES 

Indonesia searches Java Sea

Indonesia searched the Java Sea on Monday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing after its pilot failed to gain permission to alter course to avoid a storm cell during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Flight QZ8501 did not issue a distress signal and disappeared five minutes after requesting a change of course on Sunday, said government and transport officials.

People queue at an AirAsia sales counter in terminal 1 at Changi international airport in Singapore on December 28, 2014. AirAsia flight QZ8501 with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year. (AFP)

Air Force spokesman Hadi Thahjanto said two C-130 Hercules planes were focusing their search efforts in areas northeast of Indonesia's Bangka island, which lies roughly halfway between Surabaya and Singapore, in the Java Sea.

Singapore said it had sent two naval vessels to help look for the Airbus A320-200 operated by Indonesia AirAsia, adding a C-130 took part in the search on Sunday.

Malaysia would send three naval vessels and a C-130 to assist, Singapore's Channel News Asia television reported. An Australian P3 Orion surveillance plane left Darwin to join the search, Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio said. The United States, Britain, South Korea and India also offered help.

"We have been coordinating with parties from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia who have (expressed) a willingness to assist," Tataog Zainuddin, director of operations at the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, told Reuters.
 

Indonesia halts search for missing plane as night falls

Indonesia called off until first light a search for an AirAsia plane with 162 people on board that went missing on Sunday after pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from Indonesia's Surabaya city to Singapore.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501, an Airbus 320-200 carrying 155 passengers and seven crew, lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. (2317 GMT on Saturday). No distress signal had been sent, said Joko Muryo Atmodjo, an Indonesian transport ministry official.

On board were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans and one each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain, plus a French pilot, the airline said in a statement, correcting earlier information.

Tatang Kurniadi, head of Indonesia's National Committee of Safety Transportation, expressed hope of locating the aircraft quickly and said it was too early to detect any of the so-called electronic pings from its black box recorder.

Family members of passengers of missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, hours after the news the flight went missing. (AFP)

"We are using our capacity to search on sea and land. Hopefully we can find the location of the plane as soon as possible," he told a news conference.

"What I need to emphasise is until now, we have not found out how the plane fell or what kind of emergency it was."

Indonesia AirAsia is 49 per cent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia, which has had a clean safety record since it began operating 13 years ago. The AirAsia group also has affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India.

The aircraft had accumulated approximately 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

The pilots of QZ8501 "was requesting deviation due to en-route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost," the airline said in a statement.

Singapore, Malaysia, Britain, South Korea and Australia offered to help in the search and any investigation. Malaysia said it was sending vessels and a C130 aircraft while Singapore had also sent a C130. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a P3 Orion aircraft was on standby if needed.

ANXIOUS RELATIVES

Flight QZ8501 was between Tanjung Pandan on Indonesia's Belitung island and Pontianak, in West Kalimantan province on Borneo - almost halfway between Surabaya and Singapore - when it went missing. There was bad weather over Belitung at the time and the aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet before asking to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds.

In both Surabaya and Singapore, anxious relatives of people on the plane awaited news.

Louise Sidharta was at Singapore's Changi Airport waiting for her fiancée to return from a family holiday.

"It was supposed to be their last vacation before we got married," she said.

A man named Purnomo told TVOne in Surabaya of a lucky escape.

"I should have been on the flight," he said. "We, seven people, had planned to go to Singapore for vacation but this morning I had an emergency. I had my passport in hand."

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

Tony Fernandes, chief of Malaysia's AirAsia, said he was heading to Surabaya.

"My only thoughts are with the passengers and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR (search and rescue) operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he said on Twitter.

AirAsia swapped its distinctive bright red logo for a grey background on its website and social media accounts.

EARLER UPDATE: Search halted for missing AirAsia jet as night falls

Rescuers scouring the Java Sea for a missing AirAsia plane with 162 aboard halted their search at nightfall on Sunday, Indonesia's transport ministry said.

"We ended at 5:30 pm (1030 GMT) because it was getting dark. The weather was also not too good as it was getting really cloudy," transport ministry official Hadi Mustofa told AFP.

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

"Tomorrow we will begin at 7 am, or even earlier than that if the weather is good," he added.

Missing  flight  had asked to fly higher to avoid clouds

The Indonesia AirAsia flight that went missing on Sunday was about half way between its origin of Surabaya in Indonesia and its destination of Singapore, an Indonesian transport official said.

The aircraft was between the Indonesian port of Tanjung Pandan and the town of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan on Borneo island, when it went missing, Joko Muryo Atmodjo, air transportation director at the Transport Ministry, told a news conference.

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

The aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, he said. 

3 South Koreans on board missing flight

South Korea's foreign ministry said on Sunday there were at least three South Koreans on board the missing Indonesia AirAsia
.
The three passengers confirmed by Indonesian authorities to the South Korean foreign ministry were one male and one female in their thirties and an infant, the ministry said.  

Britain confirms one of its nationals on missing jet

A British national was on board the AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing in bad weather Sunday en route from Indonesia to Singapore, the Foreign Office confirmed.

Authorities monitor progress in the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 in the Mission Control Center inside the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta. (Reuters)

"We are aware of an incident regarding Air Asia flight QZ 8501," said a statement from the ministry.  "We have been informed by the local authorities that one British national was on board. Their next of kin has been informed, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."

EARLIER REPORT

An Air Asia flight bound for Singapore from Indonesia has lost contact with air traffic control in the early hours of Sunday with 162 people on board.

The airline has confirmed the news, stating flight QZ8501, departing from Surabaya, Indonesia, went missing at 7.24am (Indonesian time).

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes ponders during a press conference at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. (AP)

Air Asia stated the missing plane had 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and one infant.

Anxious families await news...Click here for pictures 

Also on board were two pilots and five cabin crew.

In a statement the airline further added: “The nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as follows: one Singapore, one Malaysia, one France, three South Korea and 156 Indonesia.”
 

A flight arrival information signboard shows the status of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore at Changi Airport in Singapore December 28, 2014. Indonesia's Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the aircraft, flight number QZ 8501, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower on Sunday at 6:17 a.m local time. (2317 GMT). The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said.  (REUTERS)

Live flight tracking website, Flight Radar 24, stated the AirAsia QZ8501 was flying at 32,000 feet over the Java Sea when the ADS-B signal was lost.

In a statement, the airline said: “AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 (Surabaya LT) this morning.

“The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 0535hours.

“The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board.”

The airline has also revealed the captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours.”

Also Read: MH370: US military shot down flight, says former CEO

The statement further adds that at this time, search and rescue operations are being conducted under the guidance of The Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to en route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC),” it added.

The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) also issued a statement to the same, saying: “Indonesia AirAsia has advised that one Singaporean is on board the missing flight, QZ8501.

“We have already made contact with the relatives of the Singaporean and are providing them with all necessary assistance and support.

“A Relatives’ Area (RA) at Changi Airport Terminal 2 has been set up to provide assistance to next-of-kin (NOK) of passengers on-board. NOKs are advised to go to the information counter located in the middle of Terminal 2 Arrival Hall (Level 1).”

It further added: “We remain ready to provide any assistance to support the search and rescue effort. The CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG) Crisis Management Centres have already been activated.

“We are working with the airline’s crisis management team,” said the CAAS.

The aircraft was in the Indonesian Flight Information Region (FIR) when contact was lost, more than 200nm southeast of the Singapore-Jakarta FIR boundary.

The CAAS has added two C130s are already on stand-by for assistance in the search and rescue.

Meanwhile, the airline has established an Emergency Call Centre for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft.

For Indonesians, the number is: +622129850801

For Singaporeans, the number is: +60321795950

Air Asia, which is headquartered in Malaysia, is another incident marking a disastrous year for Malaysia’s airlines.

National flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft this year.

Its flight MH370 went missing on March 8 on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

On July 17, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
 

ALSO READ: Latest reports on missing Malaysian plane MH370

 A dazzling display of fireworks lit up Sydney Harbour on Thursday as Australia's biggest city welcomed the New Year in spectacular style.

From Hong Kong to London and New York to Rio, millions around the world will celebrate when the clock ticks past midnight, ringing in 2015 with massive fireworks displays, concerts and light shows.

In Sydney, tonnes of fireworks exploded over the harbour watched by a crowd estimated at more than one million.

Fireworks light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the annual fireworks display to usher in the new year, early January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.6 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported.  REUTERS

"We are celebrating that we are a multicultural, harmonious community but we will be thinking about what happened," Lord Mayor Clover Moore said in reference to the incident in which two hostages and the gunman died.
In the aftermath of the siege, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said security agencies had picked up a heightened level of "terrorist chatter" and warned that "the terror threat remains high and... at this level, an attack is likely".

But the fireworks display went ahead without incident.

New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the traditional fireworks show held at midnight on December 31, 2014. AFP

Brilliant bursts of colour lit up the harbour in spectacular fashion in the midnight showpiece, with fireworks cascading off the Harbour Bridge, shooting off the Opera House and streaming across the sky in one of the world's first major celebrations to ring in 2015.

Remembrance for lost AirAsia flight

Across Asia, millions will be partying, with Hong Kong's dazzling skyline along Victoria Harbour set to light up during an eight-minute pyrotechnic display.

New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the traditional fireworks show held at midnight on December 31, 2014. AFP

In China, Beijing's bid to stage the 2022 Winter Olympics was to be the theme of celebrations. Concert pianist Lang Lang will be the star performer at an extravaganza at Olympic Park.

The Chinese capital has held New Year countdowns at the historic Temple of Heaven since 2011, but has moved the event to the site of the 2008 summer games to raise the profile of its winter Olympics bid. 

Fireworks light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the annual fireworks display to usher in the new year, early January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.6 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported.  REUTERS

In Taiwan the landmark skyscraper Taipei 101 will be at the centre of celebrations, with performances by pop singers and a firework display at midnight expected to attract hundreds of thousands.

And in Japan, the Meiji Jingu shrine in Tokyo brought out stocks of lucky charms and set up large offertory boxes as it prepared to welcome a huge wave of worshippers overnight. The huge shrine expects three million visitors in the first three days of the new year. 

Crowds watch as fireworks light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the annual fireworks display January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.2 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported. REUTERS

But in Malaysia, a sombre mood prevailed after the crash of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 carrying 162 people in Indonesia and flooding in the country's northeast which has displaced almost 250,000 people.

Year-end countdown celebrations have been cancelled, with many companies instead launching fundraising campaigns for flood victims.

In Indonesia, Surabaya was holding a candlelight vigil in the hours leading up till midnight to remember the people on the plane which departed that city on Sunday.

Crowds watch as fireworks light up the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the annual fireworks display January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.2 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported. REUTERS

The end of another era will be remembered in Berlin with ‘Baywatch’ star David Hasselhoff joining a huge open air concert in front of the Brandenburg Gate, where he famously sang for freedom after the Berlin Wall fell 25 years ago.
Dubai has promised to dazzle again with a pyrotechnic and lights show at Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower.

In Paris, the Champs-Elysees will be reserved for pedestrians to let them watch a visual spectacle projected onto the Arc de Triomphe 15 minutes before the start of the new year.

A light bulb motif made from LED lights is pictured on the side of the  Sydney Harbour Bridge following the annual fireworks display to usher in the new year, early January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.6 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported.  REUTERS

The ticking of the clock past midnight will be significant for Lithuania as it adopts the euro. Another Baltic state, Latvia, takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union, putting it on the front line of negotiations with neighbouring Russia over the crisis in Ukraine.

In Spain, millions of revellers will descend on Madrid's Puerta del Sol while in Barcelona a massive fireworks display will be held.

New Year's Eve fireworks erupt over Sydney's iconic Harbour Bridge and Opera House during the traditional fireworks show held at midnight on December 31, 2014. AFP

London stages New Year's Eve fireworks along the Thames and Edinburgh will be holding its traditional Hogmanay street party.

Marking 2015 on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, more than two million people are expected to attend a huge fireworks show that will open celebrations marking 450 years since the founding of the city.

And in New York about one million revellers are expected to descend on Times Square to watch the New Year's Eve Ball Drop.

Spectators on boats are silhouetted as fireworks shower down from the Sydney Harbour Bridge during the annual fireworks display to usher in the new year, early January 1, 2015. More than 10,000 aerial fireworks, 25,000 shooting comets and 100,000 pyrotechnic effects were used during the annual Sydney Harbour New Year's Eve show, with an estimated 1.6 million people watching from along the harbour foreshore, local media reported.  REUTERS

With just a day to go for the much-awaited Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala organised by Emaar Properties, the event has already made history by clinching the Guinness World Records title for the ‘Largest LED-Illuminated Façade’ on Burj Khalifa.

A team from Guinness World Records adjudicated the preparations for the Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala and awarded the honour for the impressive wrapping of the world’s tallest building with LED panels, spanning a total area of 32,467 sq metres.

This surpasses the existing record held by Mall Taman Anggrek in Indonesia, with the LED screen area around Burj Khalifa nearly 3.75 times larger.

The record-breaking LED display has an impressive 70,000 LED panels placed in position using over 100,000 brackets and linked seamlessly using 55,000 metres of cabling for the perfect visual display.

On New Year’s Eve, the façade will display a spectacular multi-media display highlighting the rich heritage of Dubai, its visionary leadership and iconic accomplishments.

The LED illumination on the tower, laser beams that will light up the entire Downtown Dubai neighbourhood in spell-binding hues and The Dubai Fountain dancing to the rhythm of world music will set the stage for the magnificent fireworks atop Burj Khalifa. It will serve as the crescendo for the celebration to usher in 2015 in unmatched grandeur.

A record crowd is expected to attend this year’s Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala, the flagship celebration in Emaar’s mega-development described as ‘The Centre of Now.’ The event will be streamed live on www.youtube.com/DowntownDubai, with four different camera angles including an aerial view by drones being introduced this year, for the complete effect. Additionally, live feeds of the event will be telecast over major international channels.

 

A stampede killed at least 35 people during New Year's Eve celebrations in Shanghai, authorities said, possibly caused by people rushing to pick up fake money thrown from a building overlooking the city's famous Bund waterfront district.

The Shanghai government said that large crowds started to stampede in Chen Yi Square on the Bund just before midnight, with authorities working to rescue and aid the wounded.

The trigger for the stampede has still to be confirmed, but state media and witnesses said the incident was at least partly caused when people tried picking up fake money thrown from a building.

A man who brought one of the 48 injured to a local hospital for treatment said fake money had been thrown down from a bar above the street as part of the New Year's Eve celebrations. People rushed to pick up the money, triggering the stampede, said the man, who gave his family name as Wu.

Cui Tingting, 27, said she had picked up some of the bank notes but had thrown them away when she realised they were fake.

"It's too cruel. People in front of us had already fallen to the floor, and others were stepping all over them," she said.

Another witness, who gave his family name as Wei, said there also had been a problem away from the area where the fake bills were thrown, with people trying to get onto a raised platform overlooking the river.

Dozens of distraught relatives gathered in the hospital lobby waiting for news, with some expressing frustration over a lack of information as police held them back.

"Many relatives have asked to go inside and asked the hospital to give us a list of the injured, including the conscious and unconscious ones who are being treated in there, but nobody got back to us," said a relative who gave her family name as Fan.

"Six hours have passed, but we still don't have any information," she added.

Xinhua news agency said many of the dead and injured were students. Some were young children.

President Xi Jinping has the Shanghai government to get to the bottom of the incident as soon as possible, and ordered governments across the country to ensure a similar disaster could not happen again, state television said.

The Shanghai government said on its official microblog that an inquiry had begun.

Photographs on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, showed densely packed crowds of revelers along the Bund where buildings from Shanghai's pre-communist heyday face the Huangpu River and house upscale restaurants, bars, shops and hotels.

Some photographs showed rescue workers trying to resuscitate victims lying on the pavement while ambulances waited nearby.

Authorities had shown some concern about crowd control in the days leading up to New Year's Eve. They recently cancelled an annual 3D laser show on the Bund that last year attracted as many as 300,000 people.

At dawn on Thursday, there were still small crowds of revelers trying to find taxis home and workers were clearing up trash strewn around the Bund. There was little sign of the mayhem that had broken out just hours earlier.

In 2004, 37 people died in a stampede in northern Beijing, on a bridge at a scenic spot, during the Lunar New Year holiday. 

Burj Khalifa fireworks (Photo courtesy Emirates 24l7 reader Ibrahim Damudi)

 (Photo courtesy Emirates 24l7 reader Ibrahim Damudi)

 An aerial view of Downtown Dubai during the fireworks to welcome 2015 (Supplied)

A spectacular firework at Burj Khalifa (Supplied)

Residents watch fireworks at Atlantis, Palm Jumeirah.

People celebrate New Year in Dubai.

 2015 Fireworks in Atlantis the Palm Jumeirah Dubai January 01,2015  Photo by Mohan

 2015 Fireworks in Atlantis the Palm Jumeirah Dubai January 01,2015  Photo by Mohan

New year firework in Dubai, January 1, 2015.  Photo By Imran Khalid

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP 

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People look at a firework display during a New Year celebration on January 1, 2015 in Dubai. AFP 

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015. The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

New Year's Eve fireworks at Dubai's iconic landmarks seems to be the ultimate favourite among UAE residents. Considering Dubai set a world record last year for the largest ever firework display, there's evidently a lot of expectation this year as well.

While heading to Burj Khalifa, Burj Al Arab and The Palm Jumeirah will require immense planning, we also list out spots across the emirate that will offer spectacular views of the fireworks, minus the crowd and chaos.

Downtown Dubai

If you are daring enough, then head to Downtown area by 6pm. There's clearly nothing more exhilarating than being in the middle of all the fun. Developer Emaar promises a stunning six-part firework, laser and light show that will light up Downtown Dubai. You could even book yourself a table at one of the many restaurants in the Downtown area.

Our only tip would be to avoid taking your car, and take the Dubai Metro instead. "Metro stations servicing @MyDowntownDubai for #MyDubaiNewYear are #BurjKhalifa  #BusinessBay & #FinancialCentre," tweeted the official handle for Downtown Dubai.

But, if you must drive your car, then head there earlier. Dubai Mall parking is expected to close early, so head there before 4pm. According to the RTA's twitter handle, "11,000 additional parking yards were provided, as well as feeder public buses for metro stations working 24 hours". In fact, the Downtown Dubai twitter handle states, "Limited parking spaces are available this NYE. Check Downtown Dubai website for more info http://bit.ly/1hI8YMF."

Beach spots with great views

Drive down to The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence, Kite Beach in Umm Suqeim 4 and Palace Beach on Al Sufouh Road for a spectacular view of the fireworks at The Palm Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab. Pack in a picnic, grab a blanket, and huddle in your friends and family, and it’s going into a night to remember.

Cruise along the Palm Jumeriah

Either you could rent a fancy yacht or ride the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority)marine transport and cruise along the Palm Jumeriah and the Dubai creek as the night sky lights up with the incredible fireworks. RTA has lined up special rides starting 10pm on the water bus, water taxi, Dubai Ferry, and abra, so that residents can watch the fireworks. Tickets are priced between Dh25 and Dh300, and residents are urged to book in advance.

Rooftop restaurants

Any rooftop restaurant in the main areas, especially in the business district, will offer incredible views at a price that won’t burn your pocket.

Park and watch

Since the majestic Burj Khalifa is visible from different parts of the emirate, finding a spot off the main roads could possibly throw up some good views, but we must warn residents that parking on the road is not advisable.

Perfect spots

Discovery Gardens and Dubai marina residents are also great spots, so if you have friends or family living in the area, then head to their pads to witness the New Year's Eve show. Dubai Land, Zabeel Park and Dubai Creek also top this list.

Go online

Alternately, you could skip the madness, sit at home, invite your family and friends over, and watch the Burj Khalifa show live on youtube (www.youtube.com/DowntownDubai).

Saudi Arabia’s national carrier Saudia intends to ban gender-mixing aboard all its flights in line with rules enforced by the conservative Gulf kingdom.

The airlines said it decided to act following recurrent complaints from passengers objecting to have males seated next to their wives and other female family members.

“There are solutions to this problem…we will soon enforce rules that will satisfy all passengers,” Saudia assistant manager for marketing Abdul Rahman Al Fahd said, quoted by the Saudi Arabic language daily ‘Ajel’.

He did not elaborate, but the paper said it would include instructions to flight booking staff at the Gulf kingdom’s airports to ensure males and females are separated aboard Saudia’s flights unless they are closely related.

Colombo: Controversies and Salman Khan are inseparable. The Bollywood star who is in Sri Lanka at the invitation of President Mahinda Rajapaksa has kicked up yet another storm – both in India and Sri Lanka.

Even as Salman Khan insists his visit is not political, Opposition parties in Sri Lanka claim otherwise. An opposition candidate even claimed that Khan was offered (Sri Lankan) Rs700 million [Dh19.5m], which the government has denied. In fact, a section of the Indian media, too, alleges that he is campaigning for Sri Lankan President.

But Salman Khan, who is touring with actress Jacquline Fernandez, says, “I came here for the IIFA five years ago and I became very close with Namal and his family.  Later I came here to do the movie ‘Red’. Since it is the New Year, I took a day off to come and visit your flood affected areas and see the victims. Through my charity I want to help people and spread awareness among them. Also through this camp we will be doing cataract operations and will be giving more medical assistance to the people.”

(AFP)

“This is what we do and it is nothing political. The President is an amazing man and he is one of the most humble people that I have met. Four years ago when I came here, it took me one-and-a-half-hours to go to the hotel that I was staying. But today, it took me only 20 minutes to reach here”, he added.

However, this did not pacify Sri Lankan politicians as several of them urged immigration officials to deport the actor as soon as possible.

And when Salman Khan was informed by Lankan media that artists have been attacked, he replied; “I’m quite unaware of the attack on artistes because I come from Mumbai and I have not been following what is happening here.”

“I would like to ask all people of Sri Lanka to be happy and that I will once again come for another movie and God Bless all of you,” he said.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan earned the ire of politicians in Tamil Nadu, as they also claim they he visited Lanka to campaign for the President in the forthcoming elections.

MDMK and DMK have criticized the actor for his trip.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

The Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala, a dazzling never-before-seen show of fireworks, LED light and laser beam displays, has once again positioned Dubai on the global map with the world’s most-watched New Year’s Eve spectacle.

The gala event, organised by Emaar Properties, also clinched the Guinness World Records title for the ‘World’s Largest LED-Illuminated Façade’ on Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

The Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala was undisputedly the most-attended to date in the region, with residents and visitors from around the world forming a sea of humanity in Burj Park, Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and along The Dubai Mall’s waterfront promenade.

The event was also live streamed on Youtube with four different camera angles including an aerial view from three drones which were introduced this year, for the complete effect. Additionally, live feeds of the event were telecast over major international channels reaching billions of people around the world.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, Managing Director of Emaar Properties, said: “The Downtown Dubai New Year’s Eve Gala is a symbol of Dubai’s positivity and its ability to inspire, unite and bring happiness to people from around the world. The celebration brings hope and joy for a better tomorrow and a promising new era of growth here in Dubai, a global city that provides the opportunity and environment for business and personal growth.”

The ‘World’s Largest LED-Illuminated Façade’ around Burj Khalifa was the centre of all glitz as it regaled the teeming spectators with one of the world’s brightest visual displays to date. Spanning a total area of 32,467 sq metres, the illumination surpassed the existing record held by Mall Taman Anggrek in Indonesia, with the LED screen area around Burj Khalifa nearly 3.75 times larger. The record-breaking LED display had an impressive 70,000 LED bulbs placed in position using over 100,000 brackets and linked seamlessly using 55,000 metres of cabling for the perfect visual display.

People look at a firework display during a New Year celebration on January 1, 2015 in Dubai.  AFP

The LED show created a visual spell with its powerful multimedia showcase of the rich heritage of Dubai, its visionary leadership and iconic accomplishments.

The fireworks, laser show and multimedia display used the world’s most advanced pyrotechnics and LED illumination technology. Professionals from around the world worked on the project with over 192,000 man-hours devoted to the gala. About 200 skilled professionals were tasked with the project.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

Over 4.7 tonnes of fireworks were used for the fireworks display with 25,000 shots lighting up the sky. The perfectly synchronised fireworks used over 25,000 metres of cabling, some rising up to tip of Burj Khalifa’s spire for the crowning effect.

Beating all past editions of the Gala, the fireworks served as the most compelling yet. In the first act, gold and silver strobe light effects illuminated Burj Khalifa, complemented by fireworks displays from across buildings in Downtown Dubai. Presenting Burj Khalifa as a ‘living entity,’ the never-before-seen pyrotechnic design of the fireworks dressed the tower in colourful rings and volcanic waves in the second act. Burj Khalifa was now resplendent in rainbow colours that scaled up and down the 828-metre-high building.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

A constellation of twinkling golden stars in a glitter of pink that resembled a shower of stars over Downtown Dubai followed. The fourth act featured a wave of cyclonic light effects enveloping Burj Khalifa. Silence dawned as the countdown to the New Year began, ushered in by the fascinating crescendo. Thousands of stars lit up Burj Khalifa with quivering light sequins enveloping mankind’s iconic achievement.

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

People watch as Dubai celebrates the New Year with a light and sound extravaganza at midnight at the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest tower on January 1, 2015.  The 828-metre (2,716-foot) tower was lit up with different-coloured panels as the clock counted down to 2015. AFP

A break in bad weather on Thursday raised hopes that divers would be able to investigate what is believed to be the sunken wreck of an AirAsia jet off Borneo and retrieve the plane's black box that should explain the cause of the crash.

The Airbus A320-200, carrying 162 people, fell from the sky while trying to climb above stormy weather early on Sunday, during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. The pilots did not issue a distress signal.

So far, at least eight bodies have been recovered from waters near where sonar has detected a large, dark object on the ocean floor, lying just 30-50 metres (100-165 feet) deep. But so far rough seas have prevented divers from investigating it.

"They will try again this morning," said Siahala Alamsyah, a naval officer involved in the search. He said that on Wednesday night, bad weather had prevented a team of 47 Indonesian Navy divers from even flying out to warships at the crash site.

However, the skies over Pangkalan Bun air base near the site cleared on Thursday morning and the seas calmed, raising hopes that the search effort could be stepped up.

The plane's black box flight data and cockpit voice recorder should help solve the mystery of the crash. Investigators are working on a theory that it went into aerodynamic stall as the pilot climbed steeply to avoid a storm.

Bodies recovered from the Java Sea are being taken in numbered coffins to Surabaya, where relatives of the victims have gathered, for identification. Authorities have been collecting DNA from the relatives to help identify the bodies.

Some of the bodies recovered so far have been fully clothed, including a flight attendant still wearing her AirAsia uniform. That could indicate the Airbus was intact when it hit the water and also support the aerodynamic stall theory.

Most of the 162 people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.

Hunt for ‘Black Box’

Strong wind and waves hampered the search, and with visibility at less than a kilometre (half a mile), the air operation was called off on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking on Wednesday evening, Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, the head of the search and rescue agency, said the weather was "challenging in the field, with waves up to 5 metres high, wind reaching 40 km per hour (and) heavy rain, especially in the search area."

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his priority was retrieving the bodies.

Relatives, many of whom collapsed in grief when they saw the first grim television pictures confirming their fears on Tuesday, held prayers at a crisis centre at Surabaya airport.

Earlier, radar data being examined by investigators appeared to show that AirAsia Flight QZ8501 made an ‘unbelievably’ steep climb before it crashed, possibly pushing it beyond the Airbus A320's limits, said a source familiar with the probe's initial findings.

The data was transmitted before the aircraft disappeared from the screens of air traffic controllers in Jakarta on Sunday, added the source, who declined to be identified.

"So far, the numbers taken by the radar are unbelievably high. This rate of climb is very high, too high. It appears to be beyond the performance envelope of the aircraft," he said.

Royal Malaysian Navy search and rescue crews retrieving a victim from AirAsia flight QZ8501 during their search and rescue operations in Indonesia's Java Sea. (AFP)

The source added that the data on which those assumptions had been made were incomplete. Colleagues and friends of the Indonesian captain on board have described him as an experienced and professional pilot.

The preliminary findings sharpen the focus on the role bad weather and the crew's reaction to storms and clouds in the area had to play in the plane's crash into the Java Sea which killed all 162 people on board.

Finding the six-year-old plane's cockpit voice recorder (CVR) and flight data recorder (FDR), more commonly known as black boxes, was vital to complement the radar data already available.

"With the CVR and FDR, we can establish what went on in the cockpit and what was going on with the aircraft. We can conclude if the radar information is accurate," added the source.

Climbing too slowly?

At 6.12 a.m. on Sunday, 36 minutes after taking off from Surabaya's Juanda Airport on a flight to Singapore, the pilot asked for permission to climb to 38,000ft from 32,000ft and deviate to the left to avoid bad weather.

Two minutes later, Jakarta responded by asking QZ8501 to go left seven miles and climb to 34,000ft. There was no response from the cockpit. The aircraft was still detected by the ATC's radar before disappearing at 6.18 a.m.

An image that was reportedly leaked from AirNav Indonesia, which manages the country's air space, and shared on several websites, appeared to show QZ8501 at an altitude of 36,300ft and climbing at a speed of 353 knots.

The source declined to confirm if that image was accurate. Officials from AirNav Indonesia declined to comment.

Two veteran pilots told Reuters that, if accurate, the image and information released so far pointed to the fact that the aircraft may have climbed suddenly and then lost speed.

This can result in the aircraft stalling in mid-air before plunging to the sea, they said.

One pilot explained that an A320 would cruise at a speed of around Mach 0.78 while at an altitude of 32,000ft. That translates into roughly 516 knots.

"If you encounter turbulence, you go slower at what we call the turbulence penetration speed to get through it. If you climb to avoid turbulence, you slow down to have a better climb rate. That could be around Mach 0.76," he said. "But if you climb suddenly and start to lose speed, you will stall."

The source close to the probe said other aircraft in the area at the time of the crash were flying at higher altitudes. Aircraft tracking website flightradar24.com said that they were at between 34,000 and 39,000 feet.
"We know that there was severe local weather and big clouds. But they (the other planes) were higher and did not appear to encounter any major problems. We want to look into that too," added the source.

Industry sources told Reuters that there could be parallels between this incident and the crash of Air France flight AF447 in 2009.

The investigation into that Airbus A330 showed that the co-pilot lost speed readings due to icing on the airframe.

His panic reaction meant that he kept trying to climb despite repeated stall warnings, and the crew failed to recognise the situation, eventually sending the aircraft plunging into the Atlantic.

Incidents like these show that the margin for error at higher altitudes is smaller than at takeoff or lower down, say industry experts.

They add that the A320's systems usually prevent pilots from doing anything outside usual safe flight parameters. But these protections can be disabled in some circumstances, handing control to the pilots and leaving it to manual flying skills.

EARLIER REPORT:

Indonesia believes it has found plane on sea bed

Indonesian rescuers believe they have found the wreck of a crashed AirAsia  plane on the ocean floor off Borneo, after sonar detected a large, dark object beneath waters where debris and bodies were found floating.

Ships and planes had been scouring the Java Sea for Flight QZ8501 since Sunday.

Indonesian rescuers have recovered various bits of debris, including luggage, and seven bodies floating in shallow waters.

"It's about 30 to 50 metres (100 to 165 feet) underwater," Hernanto, head of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said of the object on the sea bed.

Authorities in Surabaya were making preparations to receive and identify bodies, including arranging 130 ambulances to take victims to a police hospital and collecting DNA from relatives.

"We are praying it is the plane so the evacuation can be done quickly," Hernanto said.

Most of the people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.

Officials said waves two to three metres (six to nine feet) high and winds were hampering the hunt for wreckage and preventing divers from searching the crash zone.

Among the bodies found on Wednesday was a flight attendant.

The fully clothed bodies could indicate the Airbus  A320-200 was intact when it hit the water and support a theory that it suffered an aerodynamic stall.

"The fact that the debris appears fairly contained suggests the aircraft broke up when it hit the water, rather than in the air," said Neil Hansford, a former pilot and chairman of consultancy firm Strategic Aviation Solutions.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his priority was retrieving the bodies.

"I feel a deep loss over this disaster and pray for the families to be given fortitude and strength," Widodo said in Surabaya on Tuesday after grim images of the scene in the Java Sea were broadcast on television.

Widodo said AirAsia would pay an immediate advance of money to relatives, many of whom collapsed in grief when they saw the television pictures from the search.

AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes has described the crash as his "worst nightmare".

About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have been involved in the search.

Singapore said it was sending two underwater beacon detectors to try to pick up pings from the black boxes, which contain cockpit voice and flight data recorders.

NO DISTRESS CALL

The plane, which did not issue a distress signal, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather because of heavy air traffic.

It was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet. When air traffic controllers granted permission for a rise to 34,000 feet a few minutes later, they received no response.

Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.

Investigators are focusing initially on whether the crew took too long to request permission to climb, or could have ascended on their own initiative earlier, said a source close to the inquiry, adding that poor weather could have played a part as well.

A Qantas pilot with 25 years of experience flying in the region said the discovery of the debris field relatively close to the last known radar plot of the plane pointed to an aerodynamic stall. One possibility is that the plane's instruments iced up, giving the pilots inaccurate readings.

The Indonesian captain, former air force fighter pilot with 6,100 flying hours under his belt, was experienced and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, said the airline, which is 49 per cent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia.

EARLIER REPORT: A body recovered from the crashed AirAsia plane on Wednesday was wearing a life jacket, an official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency said.

"This morning, we recovered a total of four bodies and one of them was wearing a life jacket," said Tatang Zaenudin, an official with the search and rescue agency.
 

Bad weather hampers search

Ships and planes resumed the search for wreckage, bodies and black boxes of a doomed AirAsia plane on Wednesday after Indonesian rescuers found several bodies and debris floating in shallow waters off the coast of Borneo.

Members of Indonesia's Marine Police board their search and rescue crafts as they prepare a search operation for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, at Pangkal Pinang port in Sumatra Island, Monday Dec. 29, 2014 in Indonesia. Search planes and ships from several countries on Monday were scouring Indonesian waters over which the AirAsia jet disappeared, more than a day into the region's latest aviation mystery. The Flight 8501 vanished Sunday in airspace thick with storm clouds on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore. (AP)

Searchers found three bodies on Wednesday morning, including a flight attendant, bringing the total to six so far, said the head of the search and rescue agency, Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo.

Indonesia's search-and-rescue agency had obtained a sonar image it says may be the body of the missing plane at the bottom of the Java Sea, the ‘Wall Street Journal’ said.

The newspaper quoted the agency as saying the image appeared to show an aircraft upside down in 24-30 metres (78-98 feet) of water.

But waves two to three metres (six to nine feet) high and winds prevented divers from searching the crash zone for the sunken remains.
 

Relatives distraught as bodies found in sea

Relatives of passengers on AirAsia flight QZ8501 began crying hysterically and fainting on Tuesday as Indonesian television footage showed a body floating in the sea during aerial searches for the plane.

At least two distraught family members were carried out on stretchers from the room where they had been waiting for news in Surabaya, Indonesia's second largest city -- the take-off point for the aircraft that disappeared during a storm on Sunday.

"My heart will be totally crushed if it's true. I will lose a son," 60-year-old Dwijanto, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told AFP.

Government security officials carry a family member of passengers onboard AirAsia flight QZ8501 after she collapsed at a waiting area in Juanda International Airport, Surabaya, December 30, 2014. (Reuters)

More than 48 hours after the Airbus A320-200 lost contact carrying 162 people to Singapore, aerial searchers spotted items in the Java Sea which officials said were from the plane.

As the first body was shown floating in the water on rolling television news, relatives burst into tears and hugged one another amid cries for more ambulances, said an AFP reporter at the scene.

One man covered his face and had to be held up by two other men before he fainted and was taken out by stretcher. Another woman was screaming and crying as she was supported by the mayor of Surabaya.

An MH-60R helicopter, attached to the USS Sampson (DDG 102), approaches an Indonesian patrol vessel while searching for debris, during the Indonesian-led search and recovery operations for the downed AirAsia flight QZ8501, in the Java Sea in this December 31, 2014 handout photo released by the U.S. Navy. Ships and planes resumed the search for wreckage, bodies and black boxes of the AirAsia plane on Wednesday after Indonesian rescuers found several bodies and debris floating in shallow waters off the coast of Borneo. (REUTERS)

A female AirAsia officer shouted at the television media for showing footage of a floating body, while about 200 journalists were barred from the room holding the families, the windows of which were boarded up.

"Is it possible for you not to show a picture of the dead? Please do not show a picture of a dead body," said the officer. "That's crazy."

'Now there is some closure'

Munif, a 50-year-old whose younger brother Siti Rahmah was on the plane, said he had been trying hard to keep the other families calm.
 

Members of the Indonesian air force carry items retrieved from the Java sea during search and rescue operations for the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501, in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

Family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 react after watching news reports showing an unidentified body floating in the Java sea, inside the crisis-centre set up at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on December 30, 2014. Items resembling an emergency slide, plane door and other objects were spotted during a aerial search on December 30 for the missing AirAsia plane, according to information from the flight on which AFP was aboard. (AFP)

"But the atmosphere was very different after the footage of a dead body was shown. Families became hysterical," he said.

"Because everyone was wailing and yelling, I couldn't deal with it so I decided to leave the room."

Agus Panjaya, 36, had six relatives on the plane but was prepared for bad news.

"Of course we feel sad about our loved ones but we had prepared ourselves for the worst," said the businessman, who lost his 80-year-old grandmother Go Indree, along with his aunt and uncle and their three children.

"Before this everything was unclear. At least there is now some form of closure. For the past three days, we were really sad. We couldn't sleep well," he told AFP.
Panjaya said he was going to wait in Surabaya for the bodies.

"We don't think of compensation at the moment. As long as the bodies are being brought back, we are already grateful. That's what we are thinking right now," he said.

In Malaysia, families of those on the MH370 flight that went missing without a trace in March hoped those lost in the latest tragedy could at least have a proper burial.
"The families can now have a closure and have a peace of mind which I am dying for," said Selamat Omar, whose 29-year-old son was on the Malaysia Airlines plane.

EARLIER REPORT 

Indonesian rescuers searching for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people pulled bodies and wreckage from the sea off the coast of Borneo on Tuesday, prompting relatives of those on board watching TV footage to break down in tears.

Indonesia AirAsia's Flight QZ8501, an Airbus  A320-200, lost contact with air traffic control early on Sunday during bad weather on a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

The guided-missile destroyer USS Sampson (DDG 102) arrives for a scheduled port visit in this U.S. Navy handout picture taken at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, Hawaii, November 6, 2014.  Sampson has been assigned to assist in the search for AirAsia flight QZ8501 which went missing Sunday morning enroute to Singapore. (REUTERS)

The navy said 40 bodies had been recovered. The plane has yet to be found.

"My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501," airline boss Tony Fernandes tweeted. "On behalf of AirAsia, my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am."

The airline said in a statement that it was inviting family members to Surabaya, "where a dedicated team of care providers will be assigned to each family to ensure that all of their needs are met".

Pictures of floating bodies were broadcast on television and relatives of the missing already gathered at a crisis centre in Surabaya wept with heads in their hands. Several people collapsed in grief and were helped away.

"You have to be strong," the mayor of Surabaya, Tri Rismaharini, said as she comforted relatives. "They are not ours, they belong to God."

A navy spokesman said a plane door, oxygen tanks and one body had been recovered and taken away by helicopter for tests.

"The challenge is waves up to three metres high," Fransiskus Bambang Soelistyo, head of the Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters, adding that the search operation would go on all night. He declined to answer questions on whether any survivors had been found.

About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have been involved in the search.

Family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 react after watching news reports showing an unidentified body floating in the Java sea, inside the crisis-centre set up at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

The plane, which did not issue a distress signal, disappeared after its pilot failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather because of heavy air traffic, officials said.

It was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet, officials said earlier.

Pilots and aviation experts said thunderstorms, and requests to gain altitude to avoid them, were not unusual in that area.

The Indonesian pilot was experienced and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, the airline said.

The aircraft had accumulated about 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

A member of the Indonesian air force carries an item retrieved from the Java sea during search and rescue operations for the missing AirAsia flight, in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan on December 30, 2014. (AFP)

Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.

Clues when things go wrong

The plane, whose engines were made by CFM International, co-owned by General Electric and Safran of France, lacked real-time engine diagnostics or monitoring, a GE spokesman said.

Such systems are mainly used on long-haul flights and can provide clues to airlines and investigators when things go wrong.
Reuters
 

Indonesian Search and Rescue crews unload one of two bodies of AirAsia passengers recovered from the sea, at the airport in Pangkalan Bun, Central Kalimantan, December 31, 2014. A sonar image showing a large, dark object on the sea bed is believed to be a missing AirAsia plane, an official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency said on Wednesday after bodies and debris were found in the area.
Ships and planes have been scouring the Java Sea for Flight QZ8501 since Sunday, when it vanished with 162 people on board during bad weather about 40 minutes into its flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. (REUTERS)

EARLIER REPORT:  Indonesian officials tell local TV 'victims' spotted near site where Air Asia plane disappeared, reported AP.

Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of Air Asia, took to social media to express his grief, saying: “My heart is filled with sadness for all the families involved in QZ8501. On behalf of AirAsia my condolences to all. Words cannot express how sorry I am.”

Fernandes stated he is rushing to Surabaya.

Earlier, an Indonesian transport official said that the red and white debris spotted off the coast of Indonesia's part of Borneo island is likely to be part an Air Asia plane carrying 162 people which is presumed to have crashed two days ago.

Media quoted an air force official as saying a suspected body, luggage and a life vest were among the debris.

"As we approached, the body seemed bloated," said First Lieutenant Tri Wibowo, who was on board a Hercules during the search operation, was quoted by the Kompas.com website as saying.

The sighting of the body was not confirmed. (Reuters)
 

Pilots could not get OK to change course

Pilots sought permission to climb above threatening clouds. Air traffic control couldn't say yes immediately — there was no room. Six other airliners were crowding the airspace, forcing Air Asia Flight 8501 to remain at a lower altitude.

Minutes later, the jet carrying 162 people was gone from the radar without ever issuing a distress signal. The plane is believed to have crashed into Indonesia's Java Sea, but broad aerial surveys on Monday turned up no firm evidence of the missing Airbus A320-200.

Family members of passengers of missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, hours after the news the flight went missing. (AFP)

Searchers spotted two oily patches and floating objects in separate locations, but it was not known any of it was related to the plane that vanished Sunday halfway into what should have been a two-hour hop from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore. The area is a busy shipping lane. Officials saw little reason to believe the flight met anything but a grim fate.

An AirAsia Airbus A320 passenger jet lands at Sukarno-Hatta airport in Tangerang on the outskirts of Jakarta in this January 30, 2013 file picture. An AirAsia flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with air traffic control on December 28, 2014 Indonesian media said, citing a Transport Ministry official. (REUTERS)

Based on the plane's last known coordinates, the aircraft probably crashed into the water and "is at the bottom of the sea," Indonesia search-and-rescue chief Henry Bambang Soelistyo said. Still, searchers planned to expand their efforts onto land on Tuesday.

The last communication from the cockpit to air traffic control was a request by one of the pilots to climb from 32,000 feet (9,754 meters) to 38,000 feet (11,582 meters) because of the weather. The tower was not able to immediately comply because of the other planes, said Bambang Tjahjono, director of the state-owned company in charge of air traffic control. (AP)
 

Indonesia asks US help in finding missing plane  

The State Department said Monday that Indonesia has asked the United States for help in locating a missing Air Asia jet, and the Pentagon said it could include detection equipment deployed by air, surface and sub-surface.

The Navy's 7th Fleet said it is sending the USS Sampson, a destroyer. The Pentagon said it could include detection equipment deployed by air, surface and sub-surface.

An Indonesian woman lays flowers as people pray for passengers of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 in Malang, East Java on December 30, 2014. The hunt for a missing AirAsia passenger plane appeared over on December 30 as wreckage and dozens of bodies were spotted at sea off Indonesia, prompting raw scenes of emotion from sobbing relatives of the 162 people aboard. (AFP)

The jet carrying 162 people is believed to have crashed into Indonesia's Java Sea. The State Department says no Americans were on board.

The US Embassy in Jakarta received a diplomatic note from Indonesian officials on Monday asking for assistance finding the plane. State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke says the US is identifying how best to help.

The Pentagon's press secretary, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said in a brief statement that while details are being coordinated, the assistance "could include air, surface and sub-surface detection capabilities."

"We stand ready to assist in any way possible," Kirby said.

AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished Sunday morning on its way from Surabaya, Indonesia, to Singapore.

Object spotted in sea not from AirAsia plane: Indonesian VP

An object spotted during a sea search for an AirAsia plane was not from the aircraft, Indonesia's vice president said on Monday, after reports that an Australian surveillance aircraft had found something.

"It has been checked and no sufficient evidence was found to confirm what was reported," Jusuf Kalla told a press conference at Surabaya airport from where the ill-fated plane departed.

Kalla said there were 15 ships and 30 aircraft searching the area.

A Changi Airport staff holds up a sign to direct possible next-of-kins of passengers of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore, at Changi Airport in Singapore December 28, 2014. Indonesia's Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the aircraft, flight number QZ 8501, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower on Sunday at 6:17 a.m local time (2317 GMT). The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said. (REUTERS)

"It is not an easy operation in the sea, especially in bad weather like this," he said.
Indonesian Air Force spokesman Hadi Tjahjanto told AFP the search was now focused on a patch of oil spotted off Belitung island in the Java Sea.

"We are making sure whether it was avtur (aviation fuel) from the AirAsia plane or from a vessel because that location is a shipping line," he said.
Australia, Singapore and Malaysia have deployed planes and ships to assist in the Indonesian search for Flight QZ8501, which disappeared over the Java Sea on Sunday en route to Singapore. (AFP)

Australian plane spots objects in sea

An Indonesian official says objects have been spotted in the sea by a search plane hunting for the missing AirAsia jet.

Jakarta's  Air Force base commander Rear Marshal Dwi Putranto says he was informed on Monday that an Australian Orion aircraft had detected suspicious objects near Nangka island, about 160km southwest of Pangkalan Bun, near central Kalimantan, or 1,120km from the location where the plane lost contact.

Passengers wait at the AirAsia check-in counter inside terminal 1 at Changi international airport in Singapore on December 28, 2014. AirAsia flight QZ8501 with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year. (AFP)

"However, we cannot be sure whether it is part of the missing AirAsia plane," Putranto says, "We are now moving in that direction, which is in cloudy conditions."

Air Asia plane likely 'at bottom of sea': Indonesia search chief

The Air Asia plane which went missing with 162 people on board en route for Singapore is likely at the bottom of the sea, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency chief said Monday.

"Based on the coordinates given to us and evaluation that the estimated crash position is in the sea, the hypothesis is the plane is at the bottom of the sea," Bambang Soelistyo told a press conference.

"That's the preliminary suspicion and it can develop based on the evaluation of the result of our search."

Meanwhile, in its latest statement the carrier said: "AirAsia Indonesia has received confirmation from The National Search and Rescue Agency Republic of Indonesia (Basarnas) that an international search and rescue mission from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia has been mobilized in the search of flight QZ8501.”

Also Read:

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Missing Air Asia plane: A link to earlier crashes?

EARLIER STORIES 

Indonesia searches Java Sea

Indonesia searched the Java Sea on Monday for an AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing after its pilot failed to gain permission to alter course to avoid a storm cell during a flight from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore.

Flight QZ8501 did not issue a distress signal and disappeared five minutes after requesting a change of course on Sunday, said government and transport officials.

People queue at an AirAsia sales counter in terminal 1 at Changi international airport in Singapore on December 28, 2014. AirAsia flight QZ8501 with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year. (AFP)

Air Force spokesman Hadi Thahjanto said two C-130 Hercules planes were focusing their search efforts in areas northeast of Indonesia's Bangka island, which lies roughly halfway between Surabaya and Singapore, in the Java Sea.

Singapore said it had sent two naval vessels to help look for the Airbus A320-200 operated by Indonesia AirAsia, adding a C-130 took part in the search on Sunday.

Malaysia would send three naval vessels and a C-130 to assist, Singapore's Channel News Asia television reported. An Australian P3 Orion surveillance plane left Darwin to join the search, Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio said. The United States, Britain, South Korea and India also offered help.

"We have been coordinating with parties from Singapore, Malaysia and Australia who have (expressed) a willingness to assist," Tataog Zainuddin, director of operations at the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency, told Reuters.
 

Indonesia halts search for missing plane as night falls

Indonesia called off until first light a search for an AirAsia plane with 162 people on board that went missing on Sunday after pilots asked to change course to avoid bad weather during a flight from Indonesia's Surabaya city to Singapore.

Indonesia AirAsia Flight QZ8501, an Airbus 320-200 carrying 155 passengers and seven crew, lost contact with Jakarta air traffic control at 6:17 a.m. (2317 GMT on Saturday). No distress signal had been sent, said Joko Muryo Atmodjo, an Indonesian transport ministry official.

On board were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans and one each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain, plus a French pilot, the airline said in a statement, correcting earlier information.

Tatang Kurniadi, head of Indonesia's National Committee of Safety Transportation, expressed hope of locating the aircraft quickly and said it was too early to detect any of the so-called electronic pings from its black box recorder.

Family members of passengers of missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, hours after the news the flight went missing. (AFP)

"We are using our capacity to search on sea and land. Hopefully we can find the location of the plane as soon as possible," he told a news conference.

"What I need to emphasise is until now, we have not found out how the plane fell or what kind of emergency it was."

Indonesia AirAsia is 49 per cent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia, which has had a clean safety record since it began operating 13 years ago. The AirAsia group also has affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India.

The aircraft had accumulated approximately 23,000 flight hours in some 13,600 flights, according to Airbus.

The pilots of QZ8501 "was requesting deviation due to en-route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost," the airline said in a statement.

Singapore, Malaysia, Britain, South Korea and Australia offered to help in the search and any investigation. Malaysia said it was sending vessels and a C130 aircraft while Singapore had also sent a C130. Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said a P3 Orion aircraft was on standby if needed.

ANXIOUS RELATIVES

Flight QZ8501 was between Tanjung Pandan on Indonesia's Belitung island and Pontianak, in West Kalimantan province on Borneo - almost halfway between Surabaya and Singapore - when it went missing. There was bad weather over Belitung at the time and the aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet before asking to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds.

In both Surabaya and Singapore, anxious relatives of people on the plane awaited news.

Louise Sidharta was at Singapore's Changi Airport waiting for her fiancée to return from a family holiday.

"It was supposed to be their last vacation before we got married," she said.

A man named Purnomo told TVOne in Surabaya of a lucky escape.

"I should have been on the flight," he said. "We, seven people, had planned to go to Singapore for vacation but this morning I had an emergency. I had my passport in hand."

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

Tony Fernandes, chief of Malaysia's AirAsia, said he was heading to Surabaya.

"My only thoughts are with the passengers and my crew. We put our hope in the SAR (search and rescue) operation and thank the Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysian governments," he said on Twitter.

AirAsia swapped its distinctive bright red logo for a grey background on its website and social media accounts.

EARLER UPDATE: Search halted for missing AirAsia jet as night falls

Rescuers scouring the Java Sea for a missing AirAsia plane with 162 aboard halted their search at nightfall on Sunday, Indonesia's transport ministry said.

"We ended at 5:30 pm (1030 GMT) because it was getting dark. The weather was also not too good as it was getting really cloudy," transport ministry official Hadi Mustofa told AFP.

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

"Tomorrow we will begin at 7 am, or even earlier than that if the weather is good," he added.

Missing  flight  had asked to fly higher to avoid clouds

The Indonesia AirAsia flight that went missing on Sunday was about half way between its origin of Surabaya in Indonesia and its destination of Singapore, an Indonesian transport official said.

The aircraft was between the Indonesian port of Tanjung Pandan and the town of Pontianak, in West Kalimantan on Borneo island, when it went missing, Joko Muryo Atmodjo, air transportation director at the Transport Ministry, told a news conference.

Family members of passengers of missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501 gather at Juanda international airport in Surabaya in East Java on December 28, 2014 hours after the news the flight went missing. The AirAsia Airbus plane with 162 people on board went missing en route from Indonesia to Singapore early on December 28, officials and the airline said, in the third major incident to affect a Malaysian carrier this year.  (AFP)

The aircraft had been flying at 32,000 feet and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid clouds, he said. 

3 South Koreans on board missing flight

South Korea's foreign ministry said on Sunday there were at least three South Koreans on board the missing Indonesia AirAsia
.
The three passengers confirmed by Indonesian authorities to the South Korean foreign ministry were one male and one female in their thirties and an infant, the ministry said.  

Britain confirms one of its nationals on missing jet

A British national was on board the AirAsia plane carrying 162 people that went missing in bad weather Sunday en route from Indonesia to Singapore, the Foreign Office confirmed.

Authorities monitor progress in the search for AirAsia Flight QZ8501 in the Mission Control Center inside the National Search and Rescue Agency in Jakarta. (Reuters)

"We are aware of an incident regarding Air Asia flight QZ 8501," said a statement from the ministry.  "We have been informed by the local authorities that one British national was on board. Their next of kin has been informed, and we stand ready to provide consular assistance."

EARLIER REPORT

An Air Asia flight bound for Singapore from Indonesia has lost contact with air traffic control in the early hours of Sunday with 162 people on board.

The airline has confirmed the news, stating flight QZ8501, departing from Surabaya, Indonesia, went missing at 7.24am (Indonesian time).

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes ponders during a press conference at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya, East Java, Indonesia. (AP)

Air Asia stated the missing plane had 155 passengers on board, with 138 adults, 16 children and one infant.

Anxious families await news...Click here for pictures 

Also on board were two pilots and five cabin crew.

In a statement the airline further added: “The nationalities of passengers and crew onboard are as follows: one Singapore, one Malaysia, one France, three South Korea and 156 Indonesia.”
 

A flight arrival information signboard shows the status of AirAsia flight QZ 8501 from Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore at Changi Airport in Singapore December 28, 2014. Indonesia's Transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the aircraft, flight number QZ 8501, lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower on Sunday at 6:17 a.m local time. (2317 GMT). The Airbus 320-200 had 155 passengers and crew on board, another Indonesian Transport official said.  (REUTERS)

Live flight tracking website, Flight Radar 24, stated the AirAsia QZ8501 was flying at 32,000 feet over the Java Sea when the ADS-B signal was lost.

In a statement, the airline said: “AirAsia Indonesia regrets to confirm that flight QZ8501 from Surabaya to Singapore has lost contact with air traffic control at 07:24 (Surabaya LT) this morning.

“The flight took off from Juanda International Airport in Surabaya at 0535hours.

“The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC. There were two pilots, four flight attendants and one engineer on board.”

The airline has also revealed the captain in command had a total of 6,100 flying hours and the first officer a total of 2,275 flying hours.”

Also Read: MH370: US military shot down flight, says former CEO

The statement further adds that at this time, search and rescue operations are being conducted under the guidance of The Indonesia of Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

“The aircraft was on the submitted flight plan route and was requesting deviation due to en route weather before communication with the aircraft was lost while it was still under the control of the Indonesian Air Traffic Control (ATC),” it added.

The aircraft had undergone its last scheduled maintenance on 16 November 2014.

The aircraft was an Airbus A320-200 with the registration number PK-AXC.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) also issued a statement to the same, saying: “Indonesia AirAsia has advised that one Singaporean is on board the missing flight, QZ8501.

“We have already made contact with the relatives of the Singaporean and are providing them with all necessary assistance and support.

“A Relatives’ Area (RA) at Changi Airport Terminal 2 has been set up to provide assistance to next-of-kin (NOK) of passengers on-board. NOKs are advised to go to the information counter located in the middle of Terminal 2 Arrival Hall (Level 1).”

It further added: “We remain ready to provide any assistance to support the search and rescue effort. The CAAS and Changi Airport Group (CAG) Crisis Management Centres have already been activated.

“We are working with the airline’s crisis management team,” said the CAAS.

The aircraft was in the Indonesian Flight Information Region (FIR) when contact was lost, more than 200nm southeast of the Singapore-Jakarta FIR boundary.

The CAAS has added two C130s are already on stand-by for assistance in the search and rescue.

Meanwhile, the airline has established an Emergency Call Centre for family or friends of those who may have been on board the aircraft.

For Indonesians, the number is: +622129850801

For Singaporeans, the number is: +60321795950

Air Asia, which is headquartered in Malaysia, is another incident marking a disastrous year for Malaysia’s airlines.

National flag carrier Malaysia Airlines lost two aircraft this year.

Its flight MH370 went missing on March 8 on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

On July 17, Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
 

ALSO READ: Latest reports on missing Malaysian plane MH370