AirAsia boss: This is my worst nightmare

QZ8501 An AirAsia aircraft with 155 passengers and seven crew members on board has gone missing.

The Airbus 320-200 took off from Surabaya, Indonesia at 5.20am local time (6.20am Malaysian time) and was due to arrive in Singapore two hours later, but has lost contact with air traffic control.

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Latest developments

• Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes says plane was in good condition
   
• No oil slicks found, Emergency Locator Transmitter (ELT) not sending signal
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• Malaysia deploys one military aircraft and three vessels, with helicopters on board for the search


• Malaysian on board identified as Sarawakian businessman


• Indonesia denies confirming reports plane has crashed off Belitung island yet, still checking


• AirAsia says aircraft requested flight path change due to weather conditions


• Indonesia, Singapore launch search and rescue operations

Experts say ‘something serious’ happened to AirAsia flight

KUALA LUMPUR: Various aviation experts and correspondents closely following news of the missing AirAsia flight QZ8501 have said that something very bad must have occurred to result in it going off the radar.

With so little factual information currently available except for the extreme weather conditions, aviation expert Doug Maclean told Sky News that all the evidence currently suggests that “something very serious” had happened to flight QZ8501.

Another air crash search and rescue expert William Waldock from the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University meanwhile zeroed in on the aircraft’s crew requesting for an unusual route, remarking that this was surprising because the weather, although previously described as extreme, “didn’t seem to be anything unusual”.

Meanwhile Singapore’s Sunday Times reported: “No distress signal was sent, said the Indonesian air transport authorities.”

According to an AFP report, Indonesian officials are sticking to the theory that extreme weather conditions were most likely the cause of the aircraft now having gone missing.

An official from Indonesia’s transport ministry said the pilot asked to ascend 6,000 feet to 38,000 feet to avoid heavy clouds.

“The plane is in good condition but the weather is not so good,” Djoko Murjatmodjo told a press conference at Jakarta’s airport, addressing reports of severe storms in the area where the jet went missing.

The Indonesian air force has since despatched two of its planes to scour an area of the Java Sea, southwest of Pangkalan Bun in Kalimantan province.

“The weather is cloudy and the area is surrounded by sea. We are still on our way so we won’t make an assumption on what happened to the plane,” said Indonesian air force spokesman Hadi Cahyanto.

Source : http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2014/12/28/experts-say-something-serious-happened-to-airasia-flight/

Legendary Kollywood director Balachander dies

NEW DELHI: Indian cinema is mourning the death of legendary director K. Balachander who died in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, on Tuesday.

Balachander, 84, who was popularly referred to as “Iyakkunar Sigaram” (director who scaled the peak), was admitted last Monday to Cauvery Hospital in Chennai due to a urinary infection and other age-related ailments, Indian media reported.

Balachander, who was also a screenwriter and producer, worked mainly in the Tamil film industry and introduced many talents including renowned actors Kamal Hassan and Rajinikanth.

Many took to social media to express their grievance over the director’s demise and appreciation for his contributions to the film industry.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu tweeted that he was deeply saddened by the passing of the director.

“His distinct film making-style and hard-hitting themes amused one and all,” he said.

Balachander’s films are well known for its portrayal of women as bold personalities and central characters.

“From the point of view of Indian history, perhaps historians will remember Balachander for his North-South love story, Ek Duje Ke Liye (We are made for each other),” Hindustan Times columnist Madhavan Narayanan tweeted.

Balachander joined the film industry in 1965.

He contributed to nearly 100 feature films as a screenwriter or director in a career spanning over five decades and was one of the most prolific film makers in the country.

Source – BERNAMA

Vaikunta Ekadasi

 Significance of Vaikunta Ekadasi 

 Vaikunta Ekadasi is an important festival dedicated to Bhagvan Srihari Vishnu in the Tamil month of Margazhi. Telugu Month of Dhanur (December-January).

 Vaikunda Ekadesi festival is of great significance at allmost all South Indian temples like

 Tirupati Balaji Temple,

 Srirangam Sri Ranganatha Temple and at the

 Bhadrachalam Temple.

 In Kerala, it is known as Swarga Vathil Ekadashi.

 Next Vaikunta Ekadasi date is January 1, 2015. In United States, Vaikunta Ekadasi is on December 31.

 The significance of Vaikunta Ekadasi can be traced back to the Padma Purana. The Purana indicates that Bhagvan Vishnu took the form of ‘Ekadasi’ – female energy – to kill demon Muran. This happened during the month of Margazhi/Dhanur Impressed by ‘Ekadasi,’ Vishnu told her that whoever worships him on this day will reach ‘Vaikunta’ (heaven).

 Like all Ekadasi days, devotees fast on this day and observe vigil the whole night. Some people indulge in meditation, Japa and singing of Hari Kirtan.

 Rice is avoided during ekadashi days as it is believed that the demon Mura finds a dwelling in the rice eaten on Ekadasi day.

 It is widely believed that the gates to the heaven open - the Gate of Vaikuntha - on the Vaikunta Ekadasi day.
Denotingly The ‘Vaikunta Dwaram’ or ‘the gate to the heaven’ is opened on this day in the vaishnava temples .

 This door is the passage encircling the innermost sanctum or the Garbha Gruha of the Lord leading directly to the Central Diety..

 Scores of devotees queue up to pass through the Gate of Vaikunta in the temples.

Generally Vaikunta Ekadasi occurs in December or early January.

Scuffles erupt, MIC leader's car attacked

Pandemonium erupted outside the MIC headquarters as the party's Central Working Committee (CWC) members exited the building after an emergency meeting this evening.

A crowd swarmed a blue BMW believed to be that of CWC member G Kumar Amman, kicking and thumping it, forcing the police's Light Strike Force personnel to form a barricade to escort the vehicle out.

The MIC leader is said to be aligned to party president G Palanivel.

Palanivel himself was mobbed by angry MIC members while exiting the meeting room and later as he headed towards his car amid shouts of "Resign" and "We want a re-election".

Also shoved and shouted at was MIC disciplinary committee chairperson KS Nijhar, who is a close associate of Palanivel.

In another incident, former Youth chief SA Vigneswaran became embroiled in a scuffle with an unidentified member.

Various scuffles also took place at the scene.

M'sia bleeds dirty money enough for 42 new KLIA2

The price tag of Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA2) which sky-rocketed almost three fold to RM4 billion may have outraged taxpayers but it dwarfs the illicit outflow suffered by Malaysia in one year alone, which was enough to build the over-budgeted airport 42 times over.
 
According to the latest annual report by Washington-based Global Financial Integrity (GFI), Malaysia lost a total of RM171.11 billion (US$48.93 billion) in 2012 - the latest statistics revealed by the watchdog in almost a decade of tracking illegal capital flight.
 
The report, released today, said Malaysia had lost an accumulated amount of RM1.38 trillion (US$394.87 billion) since 2003.
 
The sum is enough to fund Malaysia's budget for five consecutive years, based on Budget 2015's expenditure of RM273.9 billion.
 
According to the global financial watchdog, the illicit outflows were lost in the form of corruption, tax evasion and crime.
 
Despite the damning capital flight, Malaysia showed marginal improvement as the illicit outflows for 2012 declined by 5.98 percent compared to 2011.
 
Malaysia's illicit outflows had ranged between RM70 billion (U$20 billion) to RM140 billion (US$40 billion) annually since 2003 but spiked dramatically to RM218.06 billion (US$62.45 billion) in 2010.
 
However, the annual figure had been on a downward trend since then, declining to RM181.19 billion (US$52.05 billion) in 2011 and RM171.11 billion (US$48.93 billion) in 2012.
 
World’s No 5 in illicit outflows
 
In the latest report, Malaysia remains among the top five countries for illegal capital flight but its ranking improved slightly.
 
The country was ranked the second worst in terms of illicit outflow in 2010 but gradually “improved” to fourth place in 2011 and fifth place in 2012.

Rajinikanth releases action thriller Lingaa

CHENNAI: Tamil superstar Rajinikanth turned 64 and made the occasion a memorable one by

putting out his latest flick “Lingaa” to frenzied fans who turned up to witness their matinee idol deliver famous punchlines after about four years, reports the Press Trust of India (PTI).

The actor was out of town, his publicist said without divulging details.

However, it was ‘Lingaa’ all the way as the hit combination of Rajinikanth-K S Ravikumar joined once again in what is expected to be a treat for the star’s avid fans.

The actor, who earlier this year featured in “Kochadaiyaan”, was back singing duets with damsels, this time Anouskha Shetty and Sonakshi Sinha in tow.

The ‘Lingaa’ fever had already gripped Rajinikanth’s fans and eager ones, both domestic and international, who hit Chennai theatres to have a glimpse of their ‘thalaivar’ (Leader) after some time.

Rajinikanth enjoys a good fan base in Japan – his films are dubbed in Japanese and released there – with some of them turning up here, singing numbers from his earlier movies, especially ‘Muthu’ that introduced the actor in the Asian country.

Local die-hard fans of the superstar were not to be left behind as they arrived for the release with their signature style celebration of pouring milk to cutouts of the star and dancing to the beat of percussion instruments.

Earlier, the film had faced legal wrangles over a writer claiming rights to the story, but the court allowed the screening with conditions.

- BERNAMA