China: Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 Inspires Air Security Course at Bodyguard School

Aboard a packed passenger jet in mid-flight somewhere over Asia, a security guard disables a hijacker by slipping a scarf over his head and pulling him to the ground.

However, the passengers are trainee bodyguards, the hijacker is an instructor, and the plane is a mock-up used for training flight attendants.

Inspired by the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, China's Tianjiao bodyguard school has introduced a special course on flight safety. Trainees are taught emergency evacuation procedures and close-quarter combat skills so that they can handle situations such as natural disasters and plane hijackings.

Tianjiao bodyguard school trainees watch their instructor use a scarf to disable a 'hijacker' during a a special flight safety training course inside a scale model of a passenger jetReuters

An instructor demonstrates close-quarter combat skills on a scale model of a passenger jetReuters

Trainees of the Tianjiao bodyguard school practise emergency evacuation from a scale model of a passenger jet at a flight attendant training centre on the outskirts of BeijingReuters

The Tianjiao bodyguard school was set up by former soldier Chen Yongqing. He employs former Israeli and Russian military men to put recruits through rigorous training and punishing endurance tests.

Chen says that when he started the bodyguard school, most of his clients were celebrities. Now, he says: "Most of our clients are rich entrepreneurs. It's all related to their business because bodyguards are a status symbol."

A trainee bodyguard is covered in mud after completing a gruelling courseReuters

Trainee bodyguards covered in mud lift tyres during a night training sessionReuters

Mud-soaked students huddle together for warmth as they sleep during a break in trainingReuters

Students carry a female trainee who collapsed during trainingReuters

A bodyguard hopeful steps on the stomachs of other trainees during a training session on a beach in Sanya, Hainan provinceReuters

Students holding replica semi-automatic rifles rehearse protecting their employers at a firing range outside BeijingReuters

Trainees practise helping their employer escape into a car while under fireReuters

A trainee reacts as he is drenched with waterReuters

A trainee lies on the ground after she was blasted with waterReuters

A recruit gets a bottle smashed over her head during a training session for China's first female bodyguardsReuters

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Israeli Soldiers Wounded in Golan Heights Bomb Attack

Several Israeli soldiers were injured as an explosive device hit an armoured vehicle in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights near the border with SyriaReuters

Several Israeli soldiers have been injured in a bomb attack on the Golan Heights near the Syrian border, the Israeli military said.

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) said one of its armoured vehicles was hit by a blast as it passed over an explosive device that was "planted" on the border between Israel and Syria near Majdal Shams.

The IDF tweeted:

BREAKING: Several #IDF soldiers injured by an explosive device planted on the Israel-Syria border

— IDF (@IDFSpokesperson) March 18, 2014

The blast was reportedly followed by an exchange of gunfire.

Three soldiers who were part of the border patrol were wounded, sustaining light-to-moderate injuries. They were taken to the Rambam Hospital in Haifa for treatment.

The incident came days after another IDF convoy was struck by a roadside bomb in the Har Dov (Shaba Farms) area, near the border with Lebanon.

The IDF blamed Hezbollah for the attack and fired at the Lebanese militant group's positions across the border in retaliation.

Thai Government to Lift Emergency as Businesses Affected by Turmoil

Thailand's Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra (C) arrives on a wheelchair at the Royal Police Cadet Academy in Nakorn Pathom province. Thailand's government is to lift a state of emergency in Bangkok and surrounding provinces two months after imposing it to curb anti-government protesters.Reuters

Thailand is set to lift the long state of emergency citing improved security situation resulting from scaling down of anti-government protests, and pleas from the business community to restore peace and order.

"We have agreed to lift the state of emergency and use the Internal Security Act from tomorrow until April 30 as the number of protesters has dwindled ... and after pleas from the business community," Paradorn Pattanathabutr, national security chief, told Reuters.

As many as 23 people have died in shootings and grenade blasts since the demonstrations started last November to topple Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, who the opposition suspects, is running a proxy government on behalf of her brother, the former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

The emergency will be replaced by a less severe Internal Security Act, which will still empower the administration to impose curfews and restrict movement of protesters. Even during the emergency, the government had refrained from using oppressive and coercive measures to curb the protests fearing a backlash.

The protests which were raging in Bangkok and the south have now retreated to the capital city's main business locality, Lumpini Park.

Business and tourism hit

The government's decision to repeal the emergency has been prompted by growing concern over the state of the economy because of the protests.

The Associated Press quoted government security official Tharit Phengdit as saying that the decision "will also have a good impact on the country's image in terms of investment, business, tourism, as well as the daily lives of the general public".

"Lifting the emergency law should have a positive impact on businesses. Many really felt the pinch and lost customers because the state of emergency was in place, including tour operators who saw huge cancellations," Kan Yuenyong, a political analyst at Siam Intelligence Unit, told Reuters.

However, experts say that merely lifting the emergency will not put Thailand's business and tourism back on track, as a complete cessation of political uncertainty is the need of the hour.

"In order for the country to be fundamentally strong, I think the conflict has to stop ... I do hope the government and opposition will find a conclusion and look forward," said Pitaya Tanadamrongsak, managing director at Dongfeng Motors.

Tourism has suffered most visibly since the political upheaval, recording a fall of 4.1% in the peak seasons of January and February, compared with last year's averages, according to tourism ministry statistics.

The resolution of the conflict seems nowhere in sight, as the government and the opposition remain adamant over installing their candidates as prime minister.

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Beijing Rules out Terror Links to Any Chinese Passengers

Trainees of the Tianjiao Special Guard/Security Consultant bodyguard training camp watch their instructor use a scarf to cover a student's head during a demonstration of close-quarter combat skills at a special course on flight safety inside a scale model of a passenger jet at a flight attendant training centre on the outskirts of BeijingReuters

Beijing has deployed 21 satellites to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, while denying that any of the 153 Chinese nationals on board were involved in sabotage or hijacking.

China's envoy to Malaysia, Huang Huikang, told reporters in Kuala Lumpur that the background checks reveal no terror links with any of the Chinese passengers, ruling out the possibility of any malicious activity.

Beijing has also initiated search operations in its own territory and is leading the search measures in the northern arc, one of the corridors where the vanished aircraft authorities suspect the airliner could have gone.

The plane had 239 people onboard – 12 crew members and 227 passengers – with nearly two thirds of them Chinese.

Days after the plane went missing, a previously unknown group calling itself the Chinese Martyrs' Brigade claimed responsibility for the passenger jet's abrupt disappearance.

In a statement sent out to media organisations, the outfit cites the grievances of the Uigher minority for the attack. No connection has been established between the disappearance of the plane and the Uigher group.

Authorities have rubbished the claims made by the Chinese outfit. "There is no sound or credible grounds to justify their claims," Malaysia's defence minister and acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.

In his latest press conference, Hussein has said China is leading the search activities in the northern corridor along with Kazakhstan, while Australia and Indonesia spearhead the southern corridor.

The Malaysian authority has also said the search has been narrowed down in the past 24 hours as many countries have started joining the operations to scour an area spanning about 2.24 million square nautical miles.

FLIGHT MH370 FACTBOX

Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport en route to Beijing at 00:41 on Saturday 8 March (16:41 GMT Friday).

About 50 minutes later, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control.

No distress call was made.

On board, there were 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from 14 countries. That included 153 Chinese and 38 Malaysians.

Two Iranian male passengers, Pouria Nour Mohammad Mahread and Delavar Syed Mohammad Reza, were travelling on fake passports. Neither had any apparent links to terrorist groups.

No debris from the plane has been found in the international search.

Last confirmed communication with Indian Ocean satellite occurred at 08:11am, meaning plane continued to fly for seven hours after radar signal was lost.

At least 25 countries, including China, the US and Singapore, have now joined in the search for the missing plane.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Launch Could be Delayed Due to Camera Module Problems

The Samsung Galaxy S5 launch could be delayed due to camera module manufacturing problemsSamsung

There's less than a month to go before Samsung launches its new flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone worldwide on 11 April, and the new device has still not gone into mass production due to camera module manufacturing problems.

According to Korean news site ETNews, Samsung is apparently having problems manufacturing 16 megapixel camera modules that are thin enough to fit into the Galaxy S5's casing without damaging the lens.

The 16 megapixel camera module consists of six plastic pieces, one more piece than in the existing 13 megapixel camera modules in the Galaxy S4.

The problem that Samsung is having is that even though the number of plastic pieces has gone up, the thickness of each piece has remained the same, so in order to fit the new camera module into the Galaxy S5, the lens makers will likely have to develop new technology to make thinner lenses.

New lens too thick

"On a thin lens, even the slightest flaw results in a considerable optical distortion," explained an industry insider. "To make plastic lens thinner, a more accurate mould technology is necessary."

Some in the South Korean smartphone industry feel that Samsung has brought the problem on itself by stifling the development of the technology.

Lens manufacturers previously used to develop their own moulds to make camera lenses. But a few years ago Samsung began producing the moulds themselves and then sending these to the lens manufacturers to pump out lenses from.

Making camera lens modules for Samsung smartphones is a long, fiddly process that can easily lead to an optical fault, unless the six lens pieces are accurately joined together and centred on an optical axis.

No time to waste

By joining six pieces together instead of five for the 13 megapixel camera modules, the risk of faults surfacing increases dramatically, the report states.

ETNews believes that Samsung will have to delay the launch of the Galaxy S5,. However the manufacturer, which has staff now constantly stationed at the lens manufacturers' plants, is still hopeful of meeting the deadline.

"The camera module for Galaxy S5 is an integration of ultra compact and ultra thin technologies," explained a Samsung Electronics insider.

"There may be difficulties in the earlier phase of production. However, we will be able to increase the yield within a short period of time."

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Anwar Ibrahim Admits Relation to Zaharie Ahmad Shah

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim addresses media during a news conference in Kuala LumpurReuters

Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has admitted he is related to missing MH370 pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah.

The admission comes after reports in Malaysia suggested Shah attended Ibrahim's sodomy trial hours before flight MH370 took off.

The 66-year-old Ibrahim, who has previously denied any connection with Shah, told the Straits Times that the pilot is in fact related to his son-in-law.

"I am not denying that he [Zaharie] is related to one of my in-laws and that I have met him on several occasions," Ibrahim said.

"In fact, he is a close friend of Rasiah Sivarasa [a leading figure in Ibrahim's PKR party], as we said before."

Ibrahim had previously said "I don't recollect the name" of Shah, however he claimed he had "seen him at party meetings", suggesting the pilot was politically active - something which has been widely denied.

'No political fanatic'

It is claimed that Shah attended Ibrahim's latest trial, at which he was jailed for five years for sodomy, just seven hours before embarking on the MH370 flight.

The trial, which reversed Ibrahim's previous acquittal of sodomy charges, has been condemned by human rights groups, many of whom believe the charges are political in nature.

Police sources say Captain Shah was a political activist and fear that the court decision left him profoundly upset.

The PKR party has also admitted that Shah previously campaigned for Ibrahim's PKR party.

However a PKR spokesperson has rubbished media reports which alleged that Shah was a "political fanatic" who hijacked the flight out of contempt for Malaysia's rulers.

PKR communications director Fahmi Fadzil said the reports were "wild allegations" and the paper in question, the Daily Mail, "is a sensationalist tabloid known for cooking up stories".

One of the party's senior lawmakers, Sivarasa Rasiah, did admit that Shah became a PKR member in January 2013 - but insisted "this is irrelevant to the case."

'A decent man'

Ibrahim has defended Shah as a "decent" man after media coverage placed Shah as the main suspect in the investigation of the missing airliner.

"Is it a crime for anyone to be a member of [PKR]? To me it is an attempt to deflect the government's incompetence," Ibrahim told AFP.

"I of course did not take the news reports [about Shah] seriously but I am speaking out because I sympathise with the pilot and his family.

"The mysterious disappearance of MH370 reflects not only an incompetent regime ruling the country but an irresponsible government."

Ibrahim, who has already served six years in prison, many of them in solitary confinement, advocates opposition to Malaysia's ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) through elections, rather than 'fanatical' terrorism.

This article was updated March 18, 2014 11:16 AM

S

China Refuses to Acknowledge UN Report on North Korea Human Rights Abuses

A picture of abduction victim Yaeko Taguchi lays next to the text of her brother Shigeo Izuka, a representative of the Association of the Families of Victims Kidnapped by North Korea, before a session of the Human Rights Council on the report of the Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights in North Korea at the United Nations in Geneva March 17, 2014.Reuters

The Chinese government has refused to acknowledge the UN report accusing North Korea of grave human rights abuses.

The report, published in February, held the North Korean state culpable of Nazi-style mass killings and tortures, and recommended the guilty officials be tried in the International Criminal Court (ICC).

China's refusal to admit North Korea's accountability in the state-sanctioned abuse of citizens has confirmed the international community's fears that Beijing will veto any initiative to refer the pariah state to the ICC.

Diplomats and defectors had warned the UN panel that China will block any move to prosecute North Korea.

Chen Chuandong, counsellor at the Chinese mission in Geneva, expressed his doubts at the credibility of the UN report, saying that much of the information was gathered from defectors and victims settled abroad, without any cooperation from North Korea.

He even said that the accusations were "divorced from reality", but did not provide any substantiation - beyond citing North Korea's lack of involvement in the report's compilation.

"The inability of the commission to get support and cooperation from the country concerned makes it impossible for the commission to carry out its mandate in an impartial, objective and effective manner," Chen said.

Chief author of the UN report Michael Kirby said lack of evidence is not a reasonable defence, as hundreds of victims not known to each other testified about the gross abuses and atrocities.

Kirby was confident that North Korean officials will one day face the ICC and be held answerable for the various alleged abuses documented in the report.

"I have lived long enough to see things that looked impossible come to full fruit," Kirby said at a press conference.

"The independence of East Timor, the independence of the Baltic states and other steps following the fall of the Berlin Wall are all indications that things can happen that don't look certain now. They won't meet media deadlines but they will occur."

So Se Pyong, North Korean ambassador to the UN , walked out of a Human Rights Council hearing, labelling the charges as provocative and fabricated by the US.

Missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Wish We Had Hijacked Jet, But Didn't, Says Taliban

Taliban says they wish the militant group had hijacked the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 but they did not.Reuters file photo

The Islamic militant group Pakistan Taliban has said it wishes the group had hijacked the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 but denied any involvement in the incident.

Admitting the fragmented group does not have the resources to pull off a colossal operation like hijacking the Boeing 777 aircraft, with 239 on board, the militant outfit has said it does not have any knowledge of the incident.

"We wish we had an opportunity to hijack such a plane," a senior militant of the Pakistan-based outfit, which is fighting the Pakistani administration, told Reuters by telephone.

Similarly, the Afghan wing of the insurgent outfit has said they do not have any hand in the mysterious disappearance of the jetliner.

"It happened outside Afghanistan and you can see that even countries with very advanced equipment and facilities cannot figure out where it went. We also do not have any information as it is an external issue," said Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesperson for Afghan Taliban.

The remarks from the outfits follow speculation that the aircraft could have been hijacked by one of the terrorist groups in order to use the aircraft for an attack at a later date.

The Independent earlier reported that Malaysian authorities were pursuing diplomatic efforts to investigate whether the vanished aircraft, after turning off its communications systems, deliberately flew via the Taliban strongholds on the Afghan border in North-West Pakistan.

Intelligence officials, however, dismissed picking up any such chatter among the extremist outfits, terming the possibility as unlikely.

Meanwhile, Malaysian authorities have also denied reports that they have not given adequate cooperation to US authorities, including the FBI.

FLIGHT MH370 FACTBOX

Flight MH370 took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport en route to Beijing at 00:41 on Saturday 8 March (16:41 GMT Friday).

About 50 minutes later, the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control.

No distress call was made.

On board, there were 12 Malaysian crew members and 227 passengers from 14 countries. That included 153 Chinese and 38 Malaysians.

Two Iranian male passengers, Pouria Nour Mohammad Mahread and Delavar Syed Mohammad Reza, were travelling on fake passports. Neither had any apparent links to terrorist groups.

No debris from the plane has been found in the international search.

Last confirmed communication with Indian Ocean satellite occurred at 08:11am, meaning plane continued to fly for seven hours after radar signal was lost.

At least 25 countries, including China, the US and Singapore, have now joined in the search for the missing plane.

Bill Clinton Launches $1m 'Nobel Prize' for Teachers

Bill Clinton launches teaching awardReuters

Bill Clinton has launched the first Nobel Prize for teachers at the Global Education and Skills Forum in Dubai.

The former president and honorary chairman of the Varkey GEMS Foundation, which is running the award, officially opened applications and nominations for the Varkey GEMS Foundation Global Teacher Prize.

The prize recognises an exceptional teacher who makes an outstanding contribution to the profession.

The winner will receive $1m (£602,000) in equal instalments over 10 years. The Varkey GEMS Foundation will provide the winning teacher with financial counselling over the period. Conditions of the award are that the winner must serve as a global ambassador for Varkey, remain a teacher for at least five years after winning and attend public events and speak at public forums.

Any teacher currently working in compulsory education is eligible to enter the competition. They must have achieved exceptional results in student learning and gone "beyond the classroom" to gain respect within the community.

They must also have encouraged other teachers to join the profession and contributed ideas as to how to raise teaching standards.

After applications close on 31 August, the winner will be picked by the Global Teacher Prize Academy, which includes head teachers, journalists, scientists and celebrities such as Kevin Spacey and jazz musician Esperanza Spalding. The winner from 10 finalists will then be announced in November.

"This is just the beginning of the road. The truth is that there is never any reward that will be enough to fully repay the debt we all owe to our teachers."

Bill Clinton

At the launch of the award, Sunny Varkey, founder of the Varkey GEMS Foundation, said: "When was the last time you saw a teacher on the front cover of any major international magazine? I don't think I have ever seen one. Every year, Time magazine has their ten top people of the year. I can't remember the last time I saw a teacher appear on that list.

"I'm not pointing the finger. After all, this is our society. We are all to blame for this. My fear is that the problem is going to go from bad to worse.

"And all of us who care about education and who care about creating a peaceful world must do whatever we can to turn this around. That is why we have created this prize to find the most exceptional teacher, who has made an outstanding contribution to the profession. It's not just about money. It's about unearthing thousands of stories of courage and inspiration.

"We are sending a really clear sign. We are doing something that no-one has ever done before. We want our prize to be every bit as great and prestigious as winning a Nobel Prize or an Oscar."

Clinton added: "This is just the beginning of the road. The truth is that there is never any reward that will be enough to fully repay the debt we all owe to our teachers.

"But we can play our part in honouring one of the world's greatest professions with this prize. By celebrating teachers, we all win. Because we need great teachers to grow great minds ... to create a more peaceful, a more secure and a more just world."

Israel Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon Slams Barack Obama's 'Weak' and 'Feeble' Foreign Policy

Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon looks at Israel's armed forces chief Major-General Benny Gantz during a visit to Kibbutz Kissufim outside the central Gaza StripReuters

Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon has launched a stinging attack on US President Barack Obama's foreign policy, telling the United States that "if your image in the world is feebleness, it doesn't pay".

Speaking at an event at Tel Aviv University, Yaalon criticises Obama's perceived weakness around the world in China, Ukraine and the Middle East.

"I heard voices of disappointment in the region. I was in Singapore and heard disappointment about China getting stronger and the US getting weaker," Yaalon said.

"Look what's happening in Ukraine, where the United States is demonstrating weakness, unfortunately," he continued.

The defence minister chastens Obama for not being proactive in tackling sources of terrorism abroad, despite the onset of US drone strikes across Asia against terrorism targets and the capture of Osama Bin Laden.

"If you sit and wait at home, the terrorism will come again," said Yaalon.

"Even if you hunker down, it will come. This is a war of civilizations. If your image is feebleness, it doesn't pay in the world. Nobody will replace the United States as global policeman. I hope the United States comes to its senses. If it doesn't, it will challenge the world order, and the United States is the one that will suffer."

Yaalon then turned his attention to the issue of Iran, declaring that Israel should no longer rely on anybody else but themselves.

"We had thought the ones who should lead the campaign against Iran is the United States.

"But at some stage the United States entered into negotiations with them, and unhappily, when it comes to negotiating at a Persian bazaar, the Iranians were better."

"Therefore, on this matter, we have to behave as though we have nobody to look out for us but ourselves," he added.

Yaalon then proceeded to criticise the Obama administration for wanting to pass the issue onto future Presidents to deal with rather than taking the initiative themselves.

"People know that Iran cheats," he said. "But comfortable Westerners prefer to put off confrontation. If possible, to next year, or the next president. But in the end, it will blow up."

From being put "on its knees" by economic sanctions, Iran has recovered by leading a "smile offensive", the defence minister concluded.

Afghan Suicide Bomber Kills 15 in Busy Marketplace

Afghan workers wash bloodstains off a window at the site of a suicide attack in Kabul last month.Reuters

A suicide bomber riding a rickshaw killed at least 15 people and injured 28 others when he blew himself up in a busy market place in northern Afghanistan, according to officials.

The blast went off as people were buying fruits and vegetables, killing and injuring several people including women and children.

"It was a local market day. Hundreds of local farmers and villagers bring their produce. All of those killed and injured are civilians," Mohammadullah Batash, provincial governor, told the BBC.

"I was busy buying bread when I heard a huge bang. I saw dead bodies and blood all around me," said Sayed Agha, a witness.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, though Taliban and al-Qaida offshoots are known to be active in the region.

Batash told Reuters that the target of the bombing was still unclear. However, the attack could possibly be related to the presidential elections in April.

Just last week, two suicide bombers had attacked a national intelligence agency base in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, a former Taliban stronghold.

A day after that, a suicide bomber tried to attack the Indian consulate in Kandahar, but was gunned down.

"A man wearing an explosives-laden jacket tried to approach the consulate gateway. The Afghan National Police identified the terrorist and fired at him after he ignored the police warning," provincial police spokesman Zia Durrani told Xinhua.

Last month, a suicide car bomber killed eight people and injured 41 at a hotel complex in Tirin Kot, in southern Afghanistan.