More carmakers caught in headlights of VW engine-rigging scandal

More carmakers caught in headlights of VW engine-rigging scandal
Volkswagen has admitted it installed illegal software into 11 million 2.0 liter and 3.0 liter diesel engines worldwide (AFP Photo/Josh Edelson)

Volkswagen emissions scandal

Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission

Iran's 'catastrophic mistake': Speculation, pressure, then admission
Analsyts say it is irresponsible to link the crash of a Ukraine International Airline Boeing 737-800 to the 737 MAX accidents (AFP Photo/INA FASSBENDER)

Missing MH370 likely to have disintegrated mid-flight: experts

Missing MH370 likely to have disintegrated mid-flight: experts
A Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 commercial jet.

QZ8501 (AirAsia)

Leaders see horror of French Alps crash as probe gathers pace

"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration Lectures, God / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it), Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse), Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) - (Text version)

… The Shift in Human Nature

You're starting to see integrity change. Awareness recalibrates integrity, and the Human Being who would sit there and take advantage of another Human Being in an old energy would never do it in a new energy. The reason? It will become intuitive, so this is a shift in Human Nature as well, for in the past you have assumed that people take advantage of people first and integrity comes later. That's just ordinary Human nature.

In the past, Human nature expressed within governments worked like this: If you were stronger than the other one, you simply conquered them. If you were strong, it was an invitation to conquer. If you were weak, it was an invitation to be conquered. No one even thought about it. It was the way of things. The bigger you could have your armies, the better they would do when you sent them out to conquer. That's not how you think today. Did you notice?

Any country that thinks this way today will not survive, for humanity has discovered that the world goes far better by putting things together instead of tearing them apart. The new energy puts the weak and strong together in ways that make sense and that have integrity. Take a look at what happened to some of the businesses in this great land (USA). Up to 30 years ago, when you started realizing some of them didn't have integrity, you eliminated them. What happened to the tobacco companies when you realized they were knowingly addicting your children? Today, they still sell their products to less-aware countries, but that will also change.

What did you do a few years ago when you realized that your bankers were actually selling you homes that they knew you couldn't pay for later? They were walking away, smiling greedily, not thinking about the heartbreak that was to follow when a life's dream would be lost. Dear American, you are in a recession. However, this is like when you prune a tree and cut back the branches. When the tree grows back, you've got control and the branches will grow bigger and stronger than they were before, without the greed factor. Then, if you don't like the way it grows back, you'll prune it again! I tell you this because awareness is now in control of big money. It's right before your eyes, what you're doing. But fear often rules. …

Monday, August 31, 2015

Plane crashes at Austrian airshow, pilot killed

RT, 30 Aug, 2015


A pilot has been killed after losing control of a small plane in Austria, the latest in a string of fatal incidents that have plagued airshows this summer.

The 50-year-old pilot was attempting to complete a loop in front of an audience of 500 people at the Friesach-Hirt air show in Carinthia in Austria when he crashed, according police spokesman Markus Dexl, who spoke with the Austria Press Agency. The pilot died from his injuries before he could be taken to the hospital.

No one else was hurt in the incident, but the remainder of the flying festival was abandoned.


This is the sixth fatal incident at airshows this month. The most serious occurred during the Shoreham air show in the UK, where a vintage Hawker Hunter plane crashed into a busy road following a failed maneuver, killing 11 people. There have also been fatalities in Germany, Russia and the US.

Related Article:


Friday, August 28, 2015

Qatar Airways says it will stop sacking women who get pregnant

Women working with Qatar Airways will not be sacked anymore if they get pregnant or marry within the first five years of employment. The airline company relaxed its rules after pressure from international labor groups.

Deutsche Welle, 27 Aug 2015


A spokeswoman for the Doha-based airline said the company had phased out the restrictions "over the past six months."

The policies included air hostesses losing their jobs if they became pregnant or married within the first five years of employment.

"Our policies have evolved with the airline's growth," a Qatar Airways spokeswoman told news agency AFP. Under the new rules, female employees who were going to have babies would be offered temporary jobs. Staff could also get married after notifying the company.

More than 9,000 cabin crew operate Qatar Airways' planes around the world. Nearly 80 percent of these are women, who have to organize their lives around their company's strict laws.

One of these includes a rule according to which female employees can be picked up from work only by their father, brothers or husband. Qatar Airways is not easing this restriction for now.

Qatar Airways has a fleet of more than
150 jets, servicing almost 150 destinations
The airlines' discriminatory policies

The airline's discriminatory policies have met with severe criticism from employees and labor unions around the world. The International Labor 
Organization (ILO) looked into the organization's rules after a complaint by the International Transport Workers' Federation and the International Trade Union Confederation.

The ILO said Qatar was a signatory of the 57-year-old convention against discrimination at work, ratified by 170 countries and that its rules dismissing pregnant women breached the international agreement.

"Protective measures should include action taken to ensure that a woman worker does not lose her job during pregnancy and that maternity is not a source of discrimination," the ILO said in its statement in June this year.

However, the airways snubbed international pressure and its chief, Akbar Al Baker said at the time, "I don't give a damn about the ILO - I am there to run a successful airline." Al Baker also said the UN agency's attitude was "evidence of a vendetta they have against Qatar Airways and my country."

The Gulf kingdom has been repeatedly criticized for its treatment of workers, especially those working to build football stadiums and infrastructure ahead of the World Cup in 2022.

mg/kms (AFP, Reuters)

Monday, August 24, 2015

German planes collide at Swiss airshow

Two single-engine German planes have crashed following a formation flight at an airshow in Switzerland. Swiss authorities confirmed at least one fatality.

Deutsche Welle, 23 Aug 2015


The two small aircraft collided midair Sunday morning with at least one plane crashing at the Dittingen airshow in northern Switzerland, Basel-Landschaft police said in a statement.

According to the "Basellandschaftlichen Zeitung" newspaper, the collision happened at around 11:30 a.m. (0930 UTC) as a three planes were executing a curve and one plane touched the tail of another one.

One of the planes crashed into a barn in the nearby town of Dittingen.

Published reports said at least one pilot parachuted to safety. The third plane of the formation was not involved in the crash and landed safely, the reports said.

The formation team has been identified as the German Grasshoppers which fly green single-engine Ikarus C42 airplanes.

In England, Saturday's death toll rises

Meanwhile, in Britain police said Sunday that the death toll has increased to 11 people with more than a dozen injured in Saturday's airshow disaster in England. A British Hawker Hunter fighter jet, which had been participating in the Shoreham Airshow near Brighton, England, hit several vehicles on a nearby road as it crashed.

jar/se (dpa, AP, AFP)

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Thalys shooting passengers in Paris; gunman being questioned

DutchNews, August 22, 2015

The passengers caught up in the shooting on the Amsterdam to Paris high-speed Thalys on Friday evening have arrived in Paris.

The last of them arrived at Gard du Nord around 01.45 hours. They were met by Thalys staff who arranged accommodation and changes to onward travel arrangements. 

No Dutch passengers were in the carriage where the shooting took place, Dutch media report. 

A gunman armed with a Kalashnikov had opened fire at around 17.50 on the high-speed train, carrying more than 550 passengers. He was overpowered by three Americans, two of them off duty soldiers. 

Two people were injured in the attack, including one of the Americans who was hospitalised with ‘serious injuries’, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said. 

The train was diverted to the northern French town of Arras, where police arrested the shooter, described by French investigators as a 26-year-old from Morocco or of Moroccan origin, who was also armed with an automatic pistol and razor blades. 

Thalys said it is running its normal service on Saturday.




US soldiers praised for grappling gunman on Amsterdam-Paris train

Related Articles:


Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, July 19, 2015) - (Ziggo?)
Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, Aug 3, 2014) - (MH17)


Matthew message (Channelled by Suzanne Ward, July 19, 2015)

Matthew Ward - July 19, 2015

Matthew Ward
With loving greetings from all souls at this station, this is Matthew. Many of your analysts think that the Greek people’s resounding “No” on the recent referendum put their country on the road to irreversible economic ruin. The country will manage. “No” put the Illuminati on the road to irreversible economic ruin.

Going back a long, long ways, bartering worked splendidly in communities, but the expanding borders of commerce required a different means of exchange; and with the introduction of coinage, money became the axis on which your world turned. The forerunners of the Illuminati and later that group itself controlled the turning by devising taxation, banking and lending systems; and, as centuries passed, “numbered” bank accounts, stock markets, Federal Reserve System, International Monetary Fund, regulating agencies and credit cards with usurious interest rates. Everything they established was specifically designed to add to their fortunes, tighten their economic control over the peoples, and increase their influence within national governments.

The Illuminati began as a cohesive group of like-minded individuals whose objective was world domination. As time went by, egos grew and tempers flared, and eventually two competitive factions with that same goal emerged. Later, the Rothschilds and their adherents, who operate out of London and the Vatican, came up with a plan to solidify their control throughout Europe—the European Union, European Central Bank and euro currency. Let us borrow your expression, “How’s that working for you?” There is no bandage large enough to patch the crack the Greek vote made in the Rothschild network. The crack will spread like a spider web around the world and into it will fall the Rockefeller faction headquartered in Washington, DC, and on Wall Street.

As if that isn’t enough for both factions to deal with—and Pope Francis’ goodness and wisdom keeps upsetting their apple cart—now there’s the agreement between negotiators from several major nations and Iran’s leaders that their country will not pursue development of a nuclear weapon. It is no surprise that Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, a top-ranking Illuminati, denounced the agreement or that Illuminati in the United States Congress and members whose election campaigns were funded by that group are opposing President Obama’s efforts to get congressional approval. They want to invade Iran and, along with taking over that country’s oil, reap the riches that come from producing the machinery of war.

The vibrations of intensifying light that led to those reversals for the Illuminati will keep increasing as the planet continues on its ascension course. If we could tell you when their total undoing will be, we would do so joyously; but activity in Earth’s energy field of potential indicates that their inevitable demise will come in stages, not one fell swoop. They still have some power, dwindling though it is, in their “black ops” branch of the CIA; other intelligence sources, including Mossad; high-ranking personnel in some military forces; leverage within mainstream media and some governments; and huge caches of monies to initiate or exacerbate uprisings, fund the Islam State, and pay their minions to hack computer systems, oversee the street drug trade, fill your skies with chemtrails, deny pollution’s contribution to climate change, or disseminate false information on the Internet.

While a few within the higher ranks of both Illuminati factions are talking with principals in reform movements, the hardliners are talking about joining forces; some have abandoned their fast-sinking ship, died of natural causes or by their own hand, or been arrested. You would recognize some names, most you would not, and it is unlikely that any of the Illuminati will be identified as such in mainstream news reports.

Upheavals will keep popping up as the ages-old light vs dark battle for Earth’s civilization at last is nearing its end. You have waited a long time to see the light triumph as predestined, and you can welcome the bumpy ride through the last phases. However, most of the populace don’t know about that long conflict or that everything transpiring and what is ahead is about planetary and personal ascension out of millennia of dark bondage.

Many people are fearful or angry, and with each new bump, others will have the same reactions. Your calmness, yet excitement, and explaining to the extent individuals are receptive can encourage them to have an optimistic outlook. But please do not be disheartened if family and friends don’t respond positively—they will waken in their own times of readiness.

And, we ask that you keep foremost in your thoughts that every person in your world is a part of God, by whatever name the Supreme Being in this universe is called. Every person is inextricably connected at soul level with all others, and God’s love for each and every one is unconditional. Seeing “offenders” through God’s eyes doesn’t mean wanting them to forego justice by your world’s standards—already this has come to some and shall befall others. What it does mean is, you will uplift yourselves and your world by envisioning those individuals within the light rather than focusing on their punishment. The impartial, nonjudgmental and unavoidable laws of the universe will serve them justice in a spirit world according to their lifetime deeds.

This is an appropriate place to answer a reader’s questions: “What will happen to Nirvana after Earth reaches 5th density? Can there still be reunions with our loved ones?” Nirvana will accompany Earth to her destination in fifth density and continue to be her spirit realm, but with grand differences. The tiny dense orb that houses the basest individuals and is the only part of the realm separate from the rest will be transported to some third density civilization and incorporated into their spirit world, or it will be dematerialized after its inhabitants are moved to a spirit world of equal density. Nirvana’s lower layers—learning centers for people who want to outgrow their negative tendencies such as bigotry, anger, apathy, envy, miserliness, bitterness, disloyalty, dishonesty, manipulativeness, closed minds and desire to control others—also will disappear. Those traits served well when they were aspects of karmic lessons souls chose to attain balanced experiencing, but your society will have advanced consciously and spiritually and no longer need to experience negative characteristics.

Indeed, reunions of loved ones can take place in Nirvana when that realm and Earth are in fifth density, but then just as now, meetings can be in any placement in this universe where energies are compatible. Actually, these visits have been happening all along during your sleep time, but your bodies’ density can’t retain memories of those visits—when you waken and have fragments of memories of being with a loved one, you attribute them to dreams. As your consciousness expands with light absorption, you will start to clearly remember your joyful reunions.

With reference to our stating that “everything in your world is purposeful,” a reader asked, “What purpose is served by rats, roaches, fleas, mosquitoes, etc.” It started eons past in linear time, when the darkness manipulated the DNA of some weaker civilizations and programmed their bodies for aging and disease. A civilization at third density conscious and spiritual level, which Earth’s peoples and other life forms have been for many millennia, has bodies that are susceptible to the diseases that some insects and rats can cause or spread; and, given the flexibility in soul contracts, physical death by that means can satisfy contracts’ cause and longevity provisions.

Insects also serve the purpose of souls whose lifetime energy consigned them to the basest part of third density spirit realms. When they are willing to receive sufficient light to embody, they do so in a short-lived form without cellular memory patterning that could influence behavior as they start back up the ladder of evolution. You will welcome knowing that insects cannot survive in the higher vibratory levels where Earth is heading, and their place in the food chain no longer will be needed.

Rats are intelligent, emotional rodents, and those that are well-treated pets respond in kind; the hordes that run wild simply are trying to survive in a world where they are detested. As a civilization grows in consciousness, so do all other life forms in that world. With that advancement comes humankind’s respect for all animal life, and “wild” rats, like other species now considered obnoxious, will be elevated in behavior and popular acceptance. Have no concerns that your world may be overrun with rats or rabbits or any other animals that produce litters quickly! They will reproduce less often and in smaller numbers as long as they decide to embody on the planet—these species, like all others, evolve and at some point incarnate as higher-order beings.

Citing numerous ways that Earth’s animals are being treated inhumanely, a reader asked, “Can the galactics not help with ending this horrendous treatment of animals?” Your universal family is helping by beaming light in abundance to Earth, but they cannot interfere with the free will of individuals who cause suffering and merciless death to your animals. It is up to your society to stop abhorrent practices, and thanks to the dedicated efforts of many souls, this is happening. Countries are setting standards for treatment of animals and repercussions for violators; there are boycotts of food, other products and entertainment derived from animal exploitation; poachers of wild animals are being taught other livelihoods; education is expanding about the importance of preserving wildlife and their habitats on land and in the seas; the numbers of wildlife reserves and no-kill shelters of pet species continue growing and so do the numbers of homeless pets who are adopted.

Participating in or financially supporting these encouraging activities is vital, to be sure, but an invaluable contribution that everyone can make to improve animal life is to not agonize about their plight, but instead send love-light to all of Earth. The law of attraction brings back the very same energy sent forth in thoughts and feelings, thus agonizing about any situation brings back still more circumstances to evoke that feeling.

A reader in New Zealand asked why teen suicides in her country and elsewhere are becoming more frequent. Perhaps because of religious teachings, dying by one’s own hand at such a young age—at any age—is viewed as more tragic than death by disease or fatal injury. So first we say, there is no judgment or penalty and no such place as limbo or hell for people who end their lives.

Their reasons differ just as the individuals themselves do; however, according to our colleagues in Nirvana, most teenagers who commit suicide are gay or lesbian or they know that their body and gender are mismatched, and they enter spirit life with tormented psyches that need customized care for healing. They were emotionally drained from struggling to conform to familial expectations, societal standards and religious orientation, or they had been cast out after declaring their true selves—either way, they saw death as the only escape from hopelessness and despair. As your society continues growing consciously and spiritually, honoring the divinity and genuineness of all soul-selves will replace discrimination and rejection.

“I have noticed a lot of fear-based information on the Internet surrounding ingesting monatomic gold. Can you please elaborate on how it actually works within our bodies?” The intention of that information—and it is a good example of DISinformation on the Internet—is to steer you away from one of the most valuable substances you can ingest. In addition to fortifying immune systems, monatomic gold contributes to health by rapidly regenerating cells; raising bodies’ frequencies; improving organs’ functioning;accelerating the transformation of carbon-based cells into crystalline; and helping to increase DNA strands. All of those physical benefits enhance brain power and that leads to expanded consciousness, spiritual clarity and overall balance. Individuals who are influenced by darkness don’t want you to have any of those advantages so they disseminate blatantly false, fear-based information about monatomic gold.

To readers who asked if signing petitions really does any good: Yes. You may or may not see prompt effects in the specific areas the petitions cover, but the energy you put forth to support endeavors you deem worthy contributes to the overall light on the planet.

“Please ask Matthew to speak about people suffering from depression. I am fearful I may not be following my soul contract and more so failing to do my part to promote positive loving thoughts to myself and others so as to assist Earth's transition.” Our understanding and compassion go out to this dear soul and to all others who are dealing with depression, an emotionally painful condition that has become almost commonplace in your world, and we hasten to say that none of you is failing self or others! You are not lacking light, but light-heartedness. Even if depression is a karmic choice for balance, it needn’t be long-lasting, and discovering and alleviating the cause is possible.

The cause may be physical. Consult a trusted healthcare practitioner about testing for hormonal imbalance, which is treatable without pharmaceutical drugs that don’t eliminate the cause and do lead to other maladies. We have mentioned the benefits of monatomic gold, and suggest as well that you eat nutritious food, drink a great deal of pure water, get sufficient sleep, listen to melodic music, and spend as much time as possible with Nature. Especially during these times when body, mind and spirits are adjusting to ever-heightening vibrations, those are wise suggestions for everyone.

In many cases, depression is circumstantial, due to one’s own or loved ones’ situation or perhaps the state of your world. When you start thinking about something sad or worrisome, change to a positive thought about that situation and visualize it dissolving into beams of light—here again the law of attraction plays a crucial role. Take one step at a time to overcome feeling depressed—this can be as simple as the satisfaction of completing a small task or as uplifting as knowing that you are contributing light to the world via compassion, forgiveness, gratitude, generosity and kindness.

Dear ones, apply those light-filled feelings to yourself, too, and ask for help! Angels, spirit guides, souls in Nirvana and other spirit worlds—all are God’s emissaries—are ever-ready and eager to help lift you out of depression’s heavy-heartedness.

Yes, planetary cleansing will continue a while longer because Earth needs to rid herself of negativity as it is produced. But we say to readers who asked about earthquakes that will devastate entire major cities, tsunamis of epic proportions, dramatic changes in land masses, and temperatures that will continue rising until they snuff out all life: Not only are those concerns needless, but they emit low vibrations that add to the negativity Earth has to deal with.

Many who requested our comments about the Trans Pacific Partnership feel this is an Illuminati-made bill that will benefit only the wealthiest. Several also questioned much the same as the reader who wrote: “If President Obama really is a light being, why is he pushing Congress to get this bill passed?” and others wrote that his efforts prove he is either Illuminati or their willing puppet or is being mind-controlled by them.

Indeed, TPP provisions have the potential to favor only the wealthy—whatever can be used beneficially also can be twisted into malevolent directions—and we shall tell you what we have been told about President Obama’s position. He is acting upon the advice of our “space” family members living among you to not make waves at this stage of behind-the-scenes talks with individuals in the Rockefeller faction. They are not defectors per se, they are pragmatists who know their aim of world control is doomed, and because their interests are better served by economic stability than global collapse, they are amenable to discussing reforms that will have far-reaching effects.

These individuals, whose cooperation can expedite the reforms, wield considerable influence in the corporate world; and their bargaining point is that by acting in good faith on TPP’s provisions, workers in the off-shore countries will reap benefits that currently are nonexistent and would not adversely affect workers in the United States. Our perspective is, as vibrations continue increasing, improvements will come in every aspect of life in your world, so with or without TPP, beneficial changes are ahead for people everywhere.

We honor you, our beloved family, for your perseverance as lightworkers. You are adding immeasurably to the light that is propelling ongoing and forthcoming changes throughout your world.

LOVE and PEACE

Suzanne Ward


"The Recalibration of Awareness – Apr 20/21, 2012 (Kryon channeled by Lee Carroll) (Subjects: Old Energy, Recalibration LecturesGod / Creator, Religions/Spiritual systems  (Catholic Church, Priests/Nun’s, Worship, John Paul Pope, Women in the Church otherwise church will go, Current Pope won’t do it),  Middle East, Jews, Governments will change (Internet, Media, Democracies, Dictators, North Korea, Nations voted at once), Integrity (Businesses, Tobacco Companies, Bankers/ Financial Institutes, Pharmaceutical company to collapse),  Illuminati (Started in Greece, with Shipping, Financial markets, Stock markets, Pharmaceutical money (fund to build Africa, to develop)), Shift of Human Consciousness, (Old) Souls, Women, Masters to/already come back, Global Unity.... etc.) (Text version)

Electric car maker BYD shifts to ternary batteries

Want China Times, Staff Reporter 2015-08-20

A BYD mockup car on display at Beijing International Automotive
Exhibition, April 25, 2012. (File photo/Xinhua)

A recent government document on electric vehicles indicates that Shenzhen-based electric car maker BYD may have shifted its position on the type of fuel cell used in its products, according to Shanghai's China Business News.

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Aug. 14 published its 72nd catalog of energy-saving and new energy vehicles covered by government subsidies, which include a BYD model "BYD6460STHEV."

The BYD model is believed to be the company's Song model, which is set to hit the market in the third quarter, according to the newspaper.

The model's specs show that the car uses lithium nickel cobalt aluminum oxide (NCA) cells produced by BYD's battery unit in Huizhou. This means that the company, which focuses on lithium iron phosphate (LFP) cells, has successfully developed a type of ternary battery.

After years of efforts, BYD has become China's leading company in terms of LFP technology, but since 2014, the sector has been moving toward ternary batteries which have higher specific energy and longer calendar life, the paper said.

BDY's cell production, the fourth-largest in the world with a 6% market share in 2014, is seen as a factor behind the company's dominance in the new energy car business in China.

Electric car maker Tesla, which uses NCA cells, is building a factory in Nevada that is set to begin production in 2017 and reach full capacity of 50 gigawatt-hours per year by 2020, the newspaper said.

According to EV Sales Blog rankings, Japan's Matsushita is leading the lithium cell market with a 38% share; followed by AECS, a joint venture between Nissan and NEC; and LG Chem.

Although BYD managed to halve the size and weight of the LFP cells in its latest Qin model and has pushed the energy density to 130 watt-hour per kilogram (wh/kg), it is still off the mark in terms of the Ministry of Science and Technology's requirements that the energy density of electric car batteries should reach 200 wh/kg by the end of the year, the newspaper noted.

The requirement for higher energy density makes ternary batteries more appealing in the sector, the newspaper said.

Some companies that made LFP cells, including Tianjin Lishen Battery and China Aviation Lithium Battery, have begun production of ternary batteries, according to the newspaper.

A BYD executive said the company is already using ternary batteries in the handsets its manufactures under contract for other enterprises, and would not rule out the possibility of using such cells in cars.

Wednesday, August 19, 2015

Crashed Indonesian plane found 'destroyed', no survivors

Yahoo – AFP, Levi Cunding, 18 Aug 2015

Indonesian rescuers search through wreckage of the Trigana Air ATR 42-300
 twin-turboprop plane at the crash site in the mountainous area of Oksibil on
August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/STR)

A plane that crashed in eastern Indonesia was Tuesday found "completely destroyed" with the bodies of all 54 passengers and crew strewn amid the wreckage in a fire-blackened jungle clearing, officials said.

Rescuers finally reached the debris of the Trigana Air plane, which went down Sunday in Papua province during a short flight in bad weather, after abandoning search efforts a day earlier due to mountainous terrain, thick fog and rain.

Indonesian search and rescue personnel
at the command post at Sentani airport in
 Jayapura communicate with the ground
 rescue team at the plane crash site in 
Oksibil on August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/
Indrayadi Thamrin)
The black box flight data recorders, which could provide clues about the cause of the crash, were retrieved. Money -- some of it burnt -- was also found among the wreckage of the plane, which had been transporting 6.5 billion rupiah ($470,000) in cash.

"The plane has crashed, it is completely destroyed," Bambang Soelistyo, head of the country's search and rescue agency, said of the ATR 42-300 plane after teams reached the site in the morning.

"Everything was in pieces and part of the plane is burnt."

It is just the latest air accident in Indonesia, which has a poor aviation safety record and has suffered major disasters in recent months, including the crash of an AirAsia plane in December with the loss of 162 lives.

Photos of the site showed a fire-blackened clearing in thick jungle strewn with debris. The twin-turboprop plane was carrying 54 people -- 49 passengers and five crew -- and officials said all the bodies had been found.

The team of about 100 rescuers, including soldiers and police, who reached the crash site found some bodies were not intact while others were badly burnt. All those on board were believed to be Indonesians.

Authorities were planning to airlift the bodies from the site by helicopter but efforts were suspended on Tuesday afternoon due to thick fog, Soelistyo told reporters in Jayapura, Papua's capital.

A fresh attempt would be made Wednesday.

'Unpredictable weather'

The money on the plane, which was being carried in four bags by postal officials, was government social assistance funds to be distributed to poor families in the remote community of Oksibil where the plane had been heading.

The wreckage from a Trigana Air ATR 42-300 twin-turboprop scattered among 
trees in the mountainous area of Oksibil district, in Indonesia's Papua province
(AFP Photo/Basarnas)

Soelistyo did not say how much cash had been found, but he told reporters: "I have instructed the team there to secure all the items, including the money, to be handed over to the authorities as evidence."

The plane had set off from Jayapura on what was supposed to be a 45-minute flight to Oksibil.

But it lost contact with air traffic control about 10 minutes before reaching its destination, soon after the crew requested permission to start descending in heavy cloud and rain to land.

Captain Beni Sumaryanto, Trigana Air's service director of operations, said "unpredictable weather and mountainous terrain" had likely caused the accident, adding that the plane was in good condition and the pilot experienced.

View galleryGrieving relatives of passengers on board the ill-fated …
Grieving relatives of passengers on board the ill-fated Trigana Air ATR 42-300 plane wait for inform …
Small aircraft are commonly used for transport in remote and mountainous Papua and bad weather has caused several accidents in recent years.

Last week a Cessna propeller plane crashed in Papua's Yahukimo district, killing one person and seriously injuring the five others on board. Officials suspect that crash was also caused by bad weather.

Indonesian rescuers hold wreckage fragments from the Trigana Air ATR 42-300
 twin-turboprop plane from the crash site in the mountainous area of Oksibil on
August 18, 2015 (AFP Photo/STR)

Trigana Air, a small domestic Indonesian airline, has experienced a string of serious incidents and is banned from flying in European Union airspace.

Last year's AirAsia crash was one of two major air accidents that Indonesia has suffered in the past year alone.

In June an Indonesian military plane crashed into a residential neighbourhood in the city of Medan, exploding in a fireball and killing 142 people.

The aviation sector in Indonesia is expanding fast but airlines are struggling to find enough well-trained personnel to keep up with the rapid growth in the archipelago of more than 17,000 islands.

Tuesday, August 18, 2015

Airbus in record deal with IndiGo

India's largest domestic airline IndiGo has ordered 250 A320neo next-generation planes from Airbus, the plane maker has said. It is the European aviation giant's largest ever contract by number.

Deutsche Welle, 17 Aug 2015


Airbus announced Monday that it had reached a deal with India's low-cost airline IndiGo to deliver 250 A320neo aircraft.

The Indian carrier already operates a fleet of A320s, having previously ordered 280 planes. With the latest announcement, the number of A320neo medium-haul aircraft IndiGo has so far ordered rises to 530.

The order is valued at around $26.5 billion (24 billion euros) at catalog prices.

The deal comes at a time when India's air passenger market is seeing rapid expansion, boosted by a growing economy and fast-expanding middle class.

Fuel efficiency matters

Smaller passenger planes are increasingly in demand around Asia as budget carriers expand their reach to less prominent cities.

Airbus says the A320neo is also designed to be fuel-efficient, consuming 15 percent less fuel - a significant selling point for airlines in the cut-throat medium-haul sector.

With the latest deal, Airbus' order book for the A320neo has crossed to over 4,100 aircraft, reflecting its popularity with airlines.

sri/hg (AFP, Reuters, dpa)

Uber to launch new taxi service later this year Business

DutchNews,.August 17, 2015

Online taxi company Uber is planning to introduce a new taxi service after the summer using professional drivers.

It will definitely not be a private car taxi service like the illegal Uberpop, a spokesman told the Volkskrant. 

However, Uber is planning to dispense with the compulsory blue licence plates in order to make it easier to become an Uber chauffeur.

The new service will bring Uber into line with plans announced by transport minister Wilma Mansveld in May to shake up the way the Dutch taxi sector is regulated, which will make it easier for new players to enter the market.

‘We want to alter a number of the existing rules,’ the Uber spokesman said. ‘The blue licence plate is unnecessary in our model.’ 

In addition, Uber drivers will not have to print out a receipt for passengers as other taxi drivers must do, because the Uber app provides much the same service. 

Prices are expected to be 20% to30% lower than is now the case, Uber said. 

UberX

The name of the new service has not yet been decided, but it may be called UberX, a service that is shortly being launched in Brussels. These taxis are midway between the illegal Uberpop service and the more luxurious and professional UberBlack. 

The new service is a reaction to the moves taken by the Dutch government against Uberpop since it was launched last year, the Volkskrant says. Dozens of drivers have been fined with the company paying out at least €100,000 to cover the cost. 

The new service will not replace Uberpop with its amateur drivers, the company said. However, Uberpop will remain illegal, Mansveld said in May, because ‘they do not comply with the law and nor will they when new measures are enacted’.

Related Article:


Saturday, August 15, 2015

Crackdown on bad behavior by Chinese air passengers

Want China Times, Li Hsin-tung and Staff Reporter 2015-08-14

Passengers boarding a plane at Chongqing Jiangbei International
Airport, July 27. (File photo/Xinhua)

The Chinese authorities have decided to reign in disorderly behavior among air passengers, announcing new safety rules that ban travelers from occupying seats not assigned to them.

The Civil Aviation Administration (CAA) of China reiterated its determination to crack down on illegal or unsafe behavior by air passengers in a statement released Aug. 12.

The CAA highlighted 11 types of bad behavior, such as blocking security checks and boarding gates, attacking or threatening attacks on crew members and occupying seats not assigned to them, for which people will face fines of up to 3,000 yuan (US$469) and even detention.

According to the CAA, airport authorities across the country reported 16 violations between late July and early August, including passengers opening airplane doors, fighting in the terminal and smoking during flights.

One man was detained for five days for making a hoax bomb threat when going through a security check at Shenyang Taoxian International Airport in northeastern China Aug. 5.

Another man was arrested and detained for five days after pushing a staff member when going through security checks at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport in central China Aug. 11.

A report about a 12-year-old girl being denied boarding Aug. 6 after she insulted flight attendants also sparked discussion in China.

The amount of problematic behavior, which is rising along with the growing number of overseas trips made by Chinese travelers, has led to calls for stricter regulations.

According to China's three major state-owned carriers–Air China, China Eastern Airlines and China Southern Airlines–the number of passengers on their international flights between January and June is estimated to have grown by 20%-40% from last year.

Related Articles:


Emirates airline to launch 'world's longest' non-stop flight

Dubai-based Emirates airline says it will launch the world's longest non-stop flight next year, connecting the Gulf nation with Central America. Dubai-Panama City passengers will be in their seats for over 17 hours.

Deutsche Welle, 14 Aug 2015


Slated to debut in February 2016, the 13,821-kilometer (8,590-mile) stretch between Dubai and Panama City will take approximately 17 hours, 35 minutes - using a Boeing 777-200LR to carry up to 266 passengers and 15 tons of cargo.

"Panama City will be our first destination gateway in Central America, providing a convenient option for our passengers travelling from or through our global hub in Dubai and onward to destinations throughout Central America, the Caribbean and the northern part of South America," the airline's chief executive Ahmed bin Saeed al-Maktoum told the dpa news agency.

Panama to United Arab Emirates

Australia's Qantas currently operates the world's longest flight, from Dallas, Texas to Sydney, Australia, which takes just under 17 hours. The new flight between Dubai and Panama City is longer by just 17 kilometers.

Singapore Airlines had previously operated an even longer flight - nearly 19 hours - that connected Singapore to Newark, New Jersey, but scrapped it two years ago to cut costs.

Emirates is backed by the government of Dubai and has expanded rapidly by routing international transit passengers and cargo through its hub in the Persian Gulf.

jar/jr (dpa, AFP, AP)

Thursday, August 13, 2015

Twisted Taipei mailboxes to be moved as crowds disrupt traffic

Want ChinaTimes, CNA and Staff Reporter 2015-08-12

People line up to have their photo taken with the now famous mailboxes
in Taipei, Aug. 9. (Photo/CNA)

Two roadside mailboxes in Taipei that have become a visitor attraction since they were bent to one side by strong winds from Typhoon Soudelor on Aug. 8 will be relocated after drawing so many people that traffic has been affected and nearby residents inconvenienced.

Chunghwa Post has decided to remove the mailboxes from service because the crowds lining up to have their photos taken with them have been disrupting traffic and disturbing residents, the company announced Tuesday.

The mailboxes, nicknamed "Xiao Hong" (Little Red)" and "Xiao Lu" (Little Green) by their fans, will be removed from their current spot on the intersection of Nanjing East Road and Longjiang Road on Aug. 13 and relocated to the entrance to the Postal Museum Taipei Beimen Branch, where they will be used as an exhibit, Chunghwa Post said.

A new mailbox will replace the damaged ones, the company said, adding that to mark the planned decommissioning of the mailboxes it has made a "smiling mailbox" commemorative seal. Post deposited in the twisted mailboxes in the period between 5 pm Wednesday and 5 pm Thursday will all be stamped with the seal so recipients can enjoy a little piece of history, Chunghwa Post said.

The decision to relocate Xiao Hong and Xiao Lu, however, has disappointed some of their online fans, who said "no one will pay attention to them" after they are relocated and called for them to be kept where they are.

The photo of the two twisted mailboxes has gone viral since being posted on the internet and Saturday. They were bent to one side by a signboard that fell to the ground during the storm in the early hours of the day, according to workers at a nearby convenience store.