Shell Selling Out? Oil Giant Can't Just Wash Hands of Niger Delta Spills


Niger delta

Oil from a leaking pipeline burns in a swamp area of the Niger Delta.Reuters



Recent reports that Shell plans to sell onshore assets in Nigeria have sparked concerns that it could pull out of the country, leaving behind a legacy of devastating pollution. But there are a few things the oil giant should consider before trying to divest its way out of trouble in the Niger Delta. And for any potential purchaser – it's a case of buyer beware.


It has been attempted before. A massive gas leak at Union Carbide's Bhopal factory in 1984 caused thousands of deaths and left tens of thousands of people with serious health problems. The company left without paying proper compensation to survivors of the leak and the families of those who died, and without cleaning up its contaminated factory site.


To this day, Bhopal ranks as India's worst industrial disaster and has haunted Union Carbide Corporation (UCC) ever since. In 2001 The Dow Chemical Company bought UCC and merged much of UCC's business with its own. The taint spread to Dow, which has faced years of criticism over the failure of its wholly owned subsidiary to deal with Bhopal. Both companies' names are now inextricably linked with the unresolved disaster and Dow has been drawn into a number of legal actions.


The case of Chevron/Texaco and Ecuador is another case in point. In 2001 Chevron bought Texaco and inherited a long-standing battle over allegations that Texaco's operations caused massive oil pollution in Ecuador which the company left without cleaning up. Chevron has found itself in court – and in the media – for over a decade, in costly battles that bear several similarities to Bhopal and the Niger Delta.


In the mid-1990s the government of Ecuador certified the environmental clean-up done by Texaco and released the company from further environmental liability. But such government releases – when given in cases where the basic problem is unresolved – may not guarantee indemnity. Ongoing pollution remained an issue, and the affected communities sued.


In 2013 Chevron was ordered by Ecuador's Supreme Court to pay $9.5 billion in damages and clean-up costs. The company maintains the judgment is illegitimate and not enforceable, and has obtained decisions in international arbitration and US court proceedings to support its position, in part because of the earlier agreement between Texaco and the government. But legal actions to enforce the Ecuadorian judgment continue.


Selling an asset does not mean selling the liability – neither in reputational nor legal terms. Even after they divest, lawsuits can follow both Royal Dutch Shell and its Nigerian subsidiary. Individuals can sue a company that harmed their lands and livelihoods if they can establish that the company owed them a duty of care and the company's failure to fulfil this duty caused the harm.


There is little doubt that an oil company has a duty of care to prevent oil spills from harming local people's lands and livelihoods. Shell's Nigerian subsidiary is currently in court in both the UK and the Netherlands over oil spills in the Niger Delta. In the Dutch case the plaintiffs successfully established the jurisdiction of Dutch courts over both the parent company, Royal Dutch Shell, and the subsidiary in relation to events in the Niger Delta, setting an important precedent for other foreign victims of abuse by Dutch multinational companies.


Shell can't shake these legal headaches just by pulling out of the Delta. Such litigation could be pursued even if Shell sold all of its assets in Nigeria because the harm occurred while it still owned the assets.


Undoubtedly there are some significant challenges to pursuing legal action against Shell. But these challenges are not insurmountable. And the efforts to overcome them will not stop. Legal action in Europe appears to offer a least some hope for people whose attempts to get justice through non-judicial processes or Nigerian courts have hit a dead end. Efforts by Amnesty International to have a meaningful dialogue with Shell about these issues stretch back more than a decade, and were as fruitless as they were frustrating.


Shell's narrative on the Niger Delta is that it is a good company doing its best in very difficult circumstances. But Shell is the principle architect of those circumstances - hundreds of unresolved oil spills and years of making payments to people with little or no transparency have been catastrophic for the area. Shell is very far from doing its best to deal with the problems it largely created. Much of its energy goes on attempts to recast the problem to portray itself as a victim.


One of the main stumbling blocks to legal claims against Shell is its consistent assertion that sabotage and theft are causing the vast majority of oil spills. Extensive research published by Amnesty International in November 2013 debunks this claim. In the Niger Delta, it is the oil companies – the potentially liable party – that get to decide what caused a spill. The conflict of interest is stark. More spills are caused by Shell's aging infrastructure than the company is willing to admit.


Legal challenges to Shell's sabotage defense are also emerging as people pursue civil litigation over oil spills. In January 2013 a Dutch court ruled in favour of one of several Nigerian farmers who had sued Shell over damage to their property, finding that Shell Nigeria had breached its duty of care in that case by failing to take reasonable action to prevent third parties tampering with oil wells and causing oil spills. This ruling is currently being appealed by Shell.


Appeal notwithstanding, the Dutch ruling has wider ramifications for Shell's operations in the Delta. The extent to which the company is acting to prevent sabotage is now being closely monitored by civil society and community activists.


While Shell cannot divest its way out of its liability for decades of pollution in the Niger Delta, any company buying its assets should think twice. They will almost certainly be investing in operations on deeply polluted land on which people are living.


There is little doubt that Nigerian regulators will certify sites as cleaned up when they are not – they have done so frequently. But scientific studies by the UN and others have exposed false claims by both Shell and the regulators about site clean-up. Relying on such assurances would be very poor due diligence indeed.


Buying assets from Shell in the Niger Delta would also constitute serious human rights negligence. The UN and NGOs have laid out extensive evidence that the land and water is polluted. The communities have been cheated out of meaningful restitution while Shell has unjustly enriched itself. Buying Shell's toxic Nigeria assets means purchasing one of the world's worst environmental disasters from one of the architects of that disaster.


Union Carbide and Dow continue to learn this the hard way over Bhopal. Two decades after Texaco left Ecuador, Chevron is still facing lawsuits.


The only way to make problems like these go away is to fix them. In the Niger Delta, that means dealing with the pollution.


Audrey Gaughran is Amnesty International's Director of Global Issues. Visit the Amnesty website to find out more about their current campaigns to promote justice and tackle abuse around the world.



Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Fights Break Out and Stretchers Taken to Relatives After 'No Survivor' News


MH370

Families of MH370 victims show their distress in front of the world media after it was revealed that no one survived airliner crashTwitter / @lucywatsonitv



Grief has replaced hope for the families of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 passengers after a text-message was sent declaring that not one of the 239 passengers aboard the airliner had survived.


Stretchers were carried to the family room where women were heard screaming and crying, with one fainting upon hearing the news after three weeks of waiting.


Shouts of "No, no, no!" filled the Lido hotel in Beijing after 17 days of no verified information on the whereabouts of the airliner.


Scuffles broke out where the families were gathered, with police and medics going into the family room to comfort them after the news was revealed.


One ambulance parked outside the hotel while men stumbled out of the building, hunched over in tears after the emotional rollercoaster of the previous three weeks.


Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak addressed the families in a statement, which read: "For them the past few weeks have been heart-breaking. I know this news must be harder still."


A text message was sent to all of the families an hour before Razak's press conference to make them aware of the latest news.


"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived," the airline said in a message to the families of the victim.


"As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia's Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean."


MH370 Missing Malaysia Flight China

Stretchers are carried into the family room for the grieving relatives of MH370 victimsTwitter / @lucywatsonitv



Razak continued: "I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Brand (AAIB).


"They inform me that Inmarsat, the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated [the plane flew within] the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculation on the data.


"Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed light on MH370's path.


"Based on the new anaylsis, Inmarsat and AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian ocean west of Perth, this is a remote location far from any possible landing site.


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



Divers' Faces Frozen in Agony at the 2014 Dubai Diving World Series


Divers may look graceful while they're soaring and tumbling through the air, but get up close and you can see the pain and concentration etched on their faces.


These photos were taken at the 2014 Fina Diving World Series in Dubai, where Britain's Tom Daley finished just outside the medals, coming fourth. Russia's Victor Minibaev took gold – and he gets our award for the funniest diving face, too.



Victor Minibaev of Russia diving in the Men's 10m Platform final

Victor Minibaev of Russia diving in the Men's 10m Platform finalGetty



Tom Daley of Great Britain dives in the Men's 10m Platform final

Tom Daley of Great Britain dives in the Men's 10m Platform finalGetty



Oleksandr Bondar of Ukraine dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi final

Oleksandr Bondar of Ukraine dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi finalGetty



Pandelela Rinong Pamg of Malaysia dives in the Women's 10m Platform final

Pandelela Rinong Pamg of Malaysia dives in the Women's 10m Platform finalGetty



Stephan Feck and Patrick Hausding of Germany dive in the Men's 3m Synchro Springboard Final

Stephan Feck and Patrick Hausding of Germany dive in the Men's 3m Synchro Springboard FinalGetty



David Boudia and Troy Dumais of the USA dive in the Men's 3m Synchro Springboard Final

David Boudia and Troy Dumais of the USA dive in the Men's 3m Synchro Springboard FinalGetty



Rebecca Gallantree of Great Britain dives in the Women's 3m Springboard final

Rebecca Gallantree of Great Britain dives in the Women's 3m Springboard finalGetty



Maicol Verzotto of Italy dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi final

Maicol Verzotto of Italy dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi finalGetty



Jahir Ocampo of Mexico dives in the Men's 3m Springboard semi final

Jahir Ocampo of Mexico dives in the Men's 3m Springboard semi finalGetty



Huixia Liu of China dives in the Women's 10m Platform final

Huixia Liu of China dives in the Women's 10m Platform finalGetty



Daniel Goodfellow of Great Britain dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi final

Daniel Goodfellow of Great Britain dives in the Men's 10m Platform semi finalGetty



Oleksandr Bondar of Ukraine dives in the Men's 10m Platform final

Oleksandr Bondar of Ukraine dives in the Men's 10m Platform finalGetty






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Russian TV Presenter Evelyn Zakamskaya: 'Jews Brought Holocaust on Themselves'


Russia Ukraine Israel Holocaust Ethnic

A presenter on Russia's state TV, Evelyn Zakamskaya, made the statement live on airYouTube



Russian state TV presenter Evelyn Zakamskaya told a live television show that Jews brought the Holocaust upon themselves.


The stunning claim was captured during an interview about the Ukraine crisis and the annexation of Crimea.


The host of the interview said to Zakamskaya that it was "strange" that Jewish organisations support the Ukrainian Maidan protest movement.


"They do not realise that they are, with their own hands, closer to the Holocaust?" said the host, insinuating that the Maidan protesters were right-wing extremists.


Zakamskaya responded, in Russia, that "they [Jews] also advanced the first [Holocaust]." Miriam Elder of BuzzFeed has confirmed the translation from Russian to English as "accurate, if incomplete".


Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned rising anti-Semitism in Ukraine and attributed the unrest in the former Soviet state to "the rampage of reactionary forces, nationalist and anti-Semitic forces going on in certain parts of Ukraine, including Kiev."


Yet, the President of the Ukrainian Jewish Committee Eduard Dolinsky said the Jewish community in Ukraine did "not feel any specific threat at this moment. And we can solve any issues inside our country in dialogue with all political forces peacefully."


"We are very sceptical of Mr. Putin's assertion that he is coming to fight fascism and anti-Semitism in Ukraine," Dolinsky added.


"It's ridiculous. We don't need protection from fascists. We were shocked when he used this as an excuse for the invasion. This is absolutely unacceptable," he concluded.



Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370: Plane 'Assumed to have Crashed Without Survivors' says Airline


Malaysia family react

Relatives of passengers aboard Malaysia Airlines MH370 cry after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the plane ended its journey in the southern Indian OceanReuters



Malaysian airlines has announced that missing flight MH370 is assumed to have crashed leaving no survivors.


"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived," the ariline said in a message to the families of the victims.


"As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia's Prime Minister, we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean."


Minuites after the message was made public, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak told a press conference that according to new satellite data there was no doubt the Boeing 777 carrying 239 people had plunged into southern Indian Ocean.


"I was briefed by representatives from the UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB)," Razak said.


"They inform me that Inmarsat the UK company that provided the satellite data which indicated [the plane flew within] the northern and southern corridors, has been performing further calculation on the data.


"Using a type of analysis never before used in an investigation of this sort, they have been able to shed light on MH370's path.


"Based on the new anaylsis, Inmarsat and AAIB have concluded that MH370 flew along the southern corridor and that its last position was in the middle of the Indian ocean west of Perth this is a remote location far from any possible landing site.


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



Tiger Airways Orders Airbus Jets Worth $3.8bn


Tiger Airways Logo

A watertower painted with Tiger Airways logo at Melbourne Airport.Reuters



Singapore's Tiger Airways has placed an order for 37 Airbus A320neo aircraft, taking delivery of the planes between 2018 and 2025.


The deal is worth $3.8bn (£2.3bn, €2.7bn) at list prices, the budget carrier said in a statement on 24 March. However, the negotiated price for the order was "significantly lower" than the list price, it added.


The purchase agreement provides Tiger the option to increase its order by up to 13 additional jets and convert the A320neos into the larger A321neo model.


With the latest agreement, the airline's existing order of nine Airbus A320 aircraft, that were part of a larger 2007 order, has been cancelled. Those planes were originally scheduled for delivery in 2014 and 2015, the carrier added.


The long-term fleet renewal and expansion comes as Tiger, which is about 40% owned by Singapore Airlines, takes steps to try to prevent a third consecutive year of losses.


Tiger chief executive Koay Peng Yen said in the statement: "We have re-calibrated our strategy and taken the necessary steps to re-position Tigerair."


He added: "This deal effectively dissipates some concerns over a potential capacity overhang in the next couple of years. It also allows us to continue building on our leadership position in budget travel at a measured pace."


John Leahy, COO, Customers, Airbus, said: "This order once again underscores the unbeatable operating economics offered by our single aisle product line for airlines from both the low cost and full service markets."


China Eastern Airlines


Earlier, China Eastern Airlines, one of the country's top three carriers, ordered 70 A320neo planes, marking a huge victory for Airbus that has been marketing the upgraded variant of its popular A320 jet to Chinese buyers.


The $6.37bn deal would boost China Eastern's competitiveness, by increasing its capacity by some 13%, the airline said in a stock exchange filing on 28 February.


In January, Tiger sold its Philippines business to Cebu Pacific, the archipelago's largest airline, cutting its losses in a market where a sharp increase in available seats pulled down ticket prices.



Mombasa Church Attack Leaves Six Dead and Many Injured


Kenya Church attack

A Kenyan police man walks past blood stains on the floor of a church, after an attack by gunmen on worshipers, at the Coast coastal town of Mombasa. Two gunmen stormed a church near the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa and opened fire on worshipers, killing six people and wounding others, in what police called a terrorist attack.Reuters



Two gunmen opened fire on an unsuspecting congregation in a church in Kenya's coastal city of Mombasa, killing six people and injuring 15 including children. Eyewitnesses said the attackers were shouting and speaking in a foreign language.


No group has claimed responsibility for the attack even though Islamist groups have recently been active in Kenya, launching a series of attacks in retaliation for Kenya's presence in Somalia.


As the ceremonial service was in session, the militants came in through the back door and started shooting indiscriminately.


The terrorists had come on foot and even attempted to raid another nearby church, but had to flee as armed guards on patrol reached the spot, according to Reuters.


"Both carried big guns and began shooting all over the place. I fell to the ground and could hear screams," Lilian Omondi, a witness, told Reuters.


"They were ordinary looking guys, one of them tall, dark and wearing a long-sleeved shirt. They walked casually as if all was OK," said Peter Muasya, another eyewitness.


According to reports, the area had received warnings of possible threats from Islamist groups, following which Kenya had bolstered security in various cities.


Robert Mureithi, a local police chief, told AFP that as many as 100 suspected militants were detained for questioning, but the two attackers managed to escape, and were "still at large".


Terrorism in Kenya


Two men were arrested recently when Kenyan police intercepted a car transporting explosives to attack Mombasa.


Kenyan troops are fighting the Shabaab militant group in Somalia as a part of an African Union mission, and had carried out a systematic assault on their bases in the neighbouring country.


Mombasa and the capital city Nairobi were rocked by a series of Islamic militant attacks.


About six months ago, Shabaab terrorists attacked Nairobi's posh Westgate mall, gunning down 67 people.


The indigenous Islamist group, Al-Hijra, formerly operating under the name of Muslim Youth Centre, has also been associated with Shabaab, and is active in Kenya's eastern coastal cities.



China to Figure Among World's Largest LNG Importers


Natural Gas Processing Plant China

Employees stand at a natural gas processing plant in Sulige, China.Reuters



China could become the world's top liquefied natural gas (LNG) importers within the next six years, with volumes close to the current import levels for Japan, the world's largest LNG consumer.


The world's second largest economy is expected to import up to 110 billion cubic metres (bcm) of LNG in 2018, from 52 bcm at present. By comparison, Japan imported 118 bcm of natural gas in 2013, according to Thomson Reuters Point Carbon data.


The current LNG imports are backed by long term contracts with several LNG producers. New long term supply contracts have been inked with producers from Australia and Papua New Guinea and imports are due to start from 2015 and 2016.


In addition, talks are underway with Russia's Gazprom on a large volume contract due to start in 2018.


However, LNG import growth into China may taper off if LNG turns out to be too expensive for segments of the Chinese gas market, Thomson Reuters Point Carbon said in a statement.


"Thomson Reuters Point Carbon has developed three forecasts for the growth of China LNG...All three lead to the conclusion that China will contribute significantly to tight supply/demand balances in the global LNG market over the years to come.


Several new LNG import terminals are under construction and even more are planned and approved. Adding these to the existing capacity means Thomson Reuters Point Carbon expects LNG import capacity to reach about 100 bcm /year by 2018 or even before," the statement added.


Gas Consumption


LNG imports into the world's most populous nation have surged in recent months. Imports surged 80% over the 60 days beginning December 2013.


LNG imports into China have grown by 25% annually over the past four years.


Import of gas started in 2006, with a roughly 50/50 share between LNG and piped gas. Turkmenistan supplies most of China's pipeline gas.


Meanwhile, natural gas production in China has also grown considerably over the last few years, from 28 bcm in 2000 to 109 bcm in 2012. In terms of volume, China is now on par with Norway, western Europe's leading gas producer.


Between 2000 and 2013, China's gas consumption grew from 28 bcm to 170 bcm.



Video Captures Moment Turkey Downs Syrian Military Jet on Border


Syria Turkey Jet Shot Down Border Moment Video

A Syrian Air Force fighter plane fires a rocket during an air strike north of AleppoReuters



Footage has emerged of the moment that a Turkish F-16 fighter jet shot down a Syrian Mig-23 for violating Turkish airspace, showing smoke rising from the scene of the jet's crash.


Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said that Syria violated Turkish airspace on the shared border despite numerous warnings, meriting a "heavy response" from the Turkish military.


Syria refuted Erdogan's claims, accusing Turkey of "blatant aggression" and claiming that the Syrian jet had been within Syrian airspace at the time.


Turkey and Syria share 500 miles of border and have traded artillery strikes in recent years surrounding several airspace disputes.


"A Syrian plane violated our airspace. Our F-16s took off and hit this plane. Why? because if you violate my airspace, our slap after this will be hard," Erdogan told a rally of supporters.


A Turkish General Staff statement states that the two Syrian military jets were "warned four times that they were approaching Turkish airspace".


The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a UK-based activist organisation, claimed that the plane crashed on the Syrian side of the border.


"Turkish air defences targeted a Syrian fighter-bomber as it struck areas of the northern province of Latakia. The plane caught fire and crashed in Syrian territory," the Observatory said.


Over 100,000 people have been killed in the Syrian conflict over three years, while millions more have been displaced into neighbouring countries such as Lebanon, Turkey and Jordan.



De Beers Eyes Angola Diamond Exploration as Prices Jump


De Beers Eyes Angola Exploration Rights as Diamond Prices Jump

De Beers Eyes Angola Exploration Rights as Diamond Prices JumpReuters



Giant Diamond miner and merchant, De Beers, is hoping to secure lucrative exploration rights in Angola as rough diamond prices rise 3% over the last few months.


According to a media statement by De Beers chief executive, Philippe Mellier, the world's largest diamond miner by market value is looking to tap into the major market by the end of 2014.


A De Beers spokesperson also confirmed that "early stage work in Angola should start later this year."


De Beers is 85% owned by Anglo American and 15% owned by the Botswana government.


It produced more than 31 million carats of diamonds in 2013 and forecasts another 2% to 3% rise in rough diamond prices across 2014.


According to consultancy Bain & Company, rough diamond production generated revenues of around $15bn (£9.1bn, €10.9bn).


De Beers has operations in South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Canada.


Angola is one of the most lucrative diamond markets in the world as it currently produces a sixth of the globe's supply. However, independent studies have shown that geological data is difficult to obtain in the region due to the transport infrastructure.


Between 2005 and 2012, De Beers explored for diamonds in Angola but later deemed the expedition as not economically viable.



Kim Jong-Un Double in China's Shenyang Becomes a Sensation


Manchu Tuan, a 38-year-old fast-food vendor, in the northeastern Chinese city of Shenyang, has had the time of his life since he discovered that he looks like North Korean autocrat Kim Jong-Un.


Plump, with Kim's double-side-shaved hairdo, he said he had never noticed the strong resemblance to the dictator nor had anyone told him. But one day a regular came up to him and asked for a snap.


"I told him sure, if you buy a kebab. So he bought two, and that was when I came up with the idea of using my looks as an advertising stunt," Manchu told the Express.


It did not take him long to sport the accessory features of Kim, wearing high-buttoned jackets and getting a hair cut like him.


"I got a picture of Kim Jong Un and had myself dressed up to look like him and had my hair done, and after that business was booming," he added gleefully.


kim jong-un lookalike

Reuters



Not surprisingly, his kebab business is thriving ever since the story of his stunning resemblance with the North Korean leader was splashed in a local newspaper.


His looks have made him a VIP overnight as people throng to his cart to buy kebabs and to click snaps with him. He has had to hire an extra hand to look after business as he spends his time posing for pictures and being a full-time celebrity.


He has changed his cart's location to Shenyang University's vicinity in Liaoning province where his hands are full at the moment, being Kim Jong-Un.


"I am pleased to say that business is really good since word got out about the fact that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea's leader Kim Jong-un is now selling kebabs here," he said.


However, his only complaint is that when he is not at the stall, no one really buys the kebabs.


"The only drawback is that business is non-existent when I'm not here. There are simply no sales by my colleague."


kim jong-un lookalike

Reuters



Ironically, Shenyang city is not far from the border with North Korea.


He sparked a frenzy on Chinese social media sites, as pictures of the charming "Kim Jong-Un" were circulated widely including on Sina Weibo, a social media platform equivalent to Twitter, inviting thousands of comments from excited users.



Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 'Was Carrying Wooden Pallets,' Malaysia Confirms


Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion and Australian navy ship HMAS Success are seeb as they search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 over the southern Indian OceanReuters



Malaysian authorities confirmed that the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was carrying wooden pallets after one was sighted floating amid other debris in the southern Indian Ocean.


Over the weekend the rescue coordination centre of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA), said that a civil aircraft had spotted a wooden pallet surrounded by what appeared to be strapping belts off Australia's western coast.


"We can confirm that MH370 was carrying wooden pallets," Malaysia's transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein told a press conference. "However, there is as yet no evidence that these are related to the wooden pallets reportedly sighted in the Australian search area."


Wooden pallets are commonly used by ships and in airplane cargo holds.


The civil flight that made the sighting failed to take pictures of the object and a New Zealand P3 Orion military plane which was later sent in the area was unsuccessful in locating the pallet.


Hussein added that another two objects, which were spotted in the southern Indian Ocean, could be recovered by an Australian vessel within the next few hours.


The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed the objects were spotted about 2500 kilometres south-west of Perth by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion plane and that navy ship HMAS Success was moving towards them.


Hussein said the search was increasingly focusing on the so called southern corridor, stretching to the south-west of the last known location of the Boeing 777, which disappeared in the Malacca Straits on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing earlier this month.


"Over the past few days, new leads from satellite data have focused our search and rescue operations in the southern corridor," Hussein said, adding that none of the leads was conclusive at the moment.


"In the northern corridor, Turkmenistan has confirmed they have not had any sightings of MH370 on their radar," he added.


Hussein also said that more than 100 people including families of both the pilot and co-pilot had been interviewed by police as part of the investigation into the missing plane.



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.




Hot Shots Photos of the Day: Kim Jong-un Lookalike, Warrior Dash, Crown of Thorns


Three men dressed as superheroes participate in Warrior Dash, billed as the world's largest obstacle race, in Smithville, Texas

Three men dressed as superheroes participate in Warrior Dash, billed as the world's largest obstacle race, in Smithville, TexasGetty



Contestants trudge through mud during Warrior Dash in Texas

Contestants trudge through mud during Warrior Dash in TexasGetty



Kite boarders and kite skiers compete during an amateur regional competition on the frozen Yenisei River in the Taiga district outside Russia's Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk

Kite boarders and kite skiers compete during an amateur regional competition on the frozen Yenisei River in the Taiga district outside Russia's Siberian city of KrasnoyarskReuters



A man, his wife and their child use a zip-line to cross the Nujiang River in Lazimi village of Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, China. Residents have been using the zip-line for years to cross the river as there is no bridge nearby

A man, his wife and their child use a zip-line to cross the Nujiang River in Lazimi village of Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, China. Residents have been using the zip-line for years to cross the river as there is no bridge nearbyReuters



A boy bathes on a street in the southern Indian city of Chennai on World Water Day

A boy bathes on a street in the southern Indian city of Chennai on World Water DayReuters



The Holy Crown of Thorns is displayed during a ceremony at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The presentation of the relic, which was woven from thorn branches and believed to have been placed on Jesus Christ during the events leading up to his crucifixion, forms part of ceremonies marking the 800th anniversary of the birth and baptism of Saint Louis

The Holy Crown of Thorns is displayed during a ceremony at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. The presentation of the relic, which was woven from thorn branches and believed to have been placed on Jesus Christ during the events leading up to his crucifixion, forms part of ceremonies marking the 800th anniversary of the birth and baptism of Saint LouisReuters



Xia, a 38-year-old lookalike of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, cooks barbequed lamb at his food stall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, China

Xia, a 38-year-old lookalike of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, cooks barbequed lamb at his food stall in Shenyang, Liaoning province, ChinaReuters



North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju watch a performance by the Moranbong Band at the April 25 House of Culture in Pyongyang

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and his wife Ri Sol Ju watch a performance by the Moranbong Band at the April 25 House of Culture in PyongyangReuters



Angelina Jolie's wings are seen in a new teaser for her upcoming dark Disney film

Angelina Jolie's wings are seen in a new teaser for her upcoming dark Disney film "Maleficent" in which she plays the evil queen from the Sleeping Beauty fairytaleDisney Enterprises



Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sits on a bench with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy after voting in the first round in the French mayoral elections in Paris

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sits on a bench with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy after voting in the first round in the French mayoral elections in ParisReuters



US first lady Michelle Obama talks to her daughter Malia as they visit the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, China

US first lady Michelle Obama talks to her daughter Malia as they visit the Museum of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, in Xi'an, Shaanxi province, ChinaReuters



Relatives of passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 pray at Lido Hotel in Beijing after a Chinese military aircraft spotted several

Relatives of passengers on Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 pray at Lido Hotel in Beijing after a Chinese military aircraft spotted several "suspicious" floating objects in remote seas off Australia, increasing the likelihood that the wreckage of the plane may soon be foundReuters



Crew members of a Japanese Lockheed P-3C Orion aircraft wave as they leave Subang airbase in Malaysia to help with the search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane off Australia

Crew members of a Japanese Lockheed P-3C Orion aircraft wave as they leave Subang airbase in Malaysia to help with the search operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 plane off AustraliaReuters



Palestinian boys watch a Hamas rally marking the anniversary of the death of its leaders, in Gaza City

Palestinian boys watch a Hamas rally marking the anniversary of the death of its leaders, in Gaza CityReuters



Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan cheer during an election rally in Istanbul. Erdogan dismissed accusations of intolerance by Western and domestic critics.

Supporters of Turkey's Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan cheer during an election rally in Istanbul. Erdogan dismissed accusations of intolerance by Western and domestic critics. "I don't care who it is. I'm not listening," he saidReuters



A Buddhist monk is attacked by members of the pro-government

A Buddhist monk is attacked by members of the pro-government "red shirt" movement outside the National Anti-Corruption Commission office in Nonthaburi province, on the outskirts of BangkokReuters



Members of pro-Russian self-defence units detain a man outside a military airbase in the Crimean town of Belbek

Members of pro-Russian self-defence units detain a man outside a military airbase in the Crimean town of BelbekReuters



Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, take cover behind an armoured vehicle as they attempt to take over a military airbase in the Crimean town of Belbek

Armed men, believed to be Russian servicemen, take cover behind an armoured vehicle as they attempt to take over a military airbase in the Crimean town of BelbekReuters



A young man takes photos of his girlfriend posing with Ukrainian riot police guarding the regional administration building following a pro-Russian rally in Donetsk

A young man takes photos of his girlfriend posing with Ukrainian riot police guarding the regional administration building following a pro-Russian rally in DonetskReuters



A night-time view of the city skyline in Chicago

A night-time view of the city skyline in ChicagoReuters



Buildings and landslide debris blocks Highway 530 near Oso, Washington

Buildings and landslide debris blocks Highway 530 near Oso, WashingtonReuters




Malaysia Airlines flight MH370: Australia 'To Recover First Objects Within Hours'


Malaysia AIrlines flight MH370 Indian Ocean debris hunt

Flight Lieutenant Jason Nichols aboard a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) AP-3C Orion, writes notes as they search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 over the southern Indian OceanReuters



Malaysian authorities said the first floating objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 could be recovered by an Australian ship within the next few hours.


Malaysia's transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said the Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbot called his Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak to inform him of a new sighting in the southern Indian Ocean, off the western coast of Australia.


An Australian search flight spotted two objects, one circular and one rectangular, floating "in the vicinity" of an Australian vessel - HMAS Success - which was moving to recover them, Hussein told a press conference.


"It is possible that the objects could be received in the next few hours or tomorrow morning at the latest," said Hussein.


The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) confirmed the objects were spotted about 2500 kilometres south-west of Perth by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion plane.


"The crew on board the Orion reported seeing two objects – the first a grey or green circular object and the second an orange rectangular object," AMSA said.


AMSA added it was a separate sighting from that by a Chinese Ilyushin-76 military aircraft which spotted several "suspicious white and rectangular" objects in the same area.


"The US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft sought to relocate the objects reported by the Chinese aircraft but were unable to do so," AMSA said. "The US Navy P8 remains in the search area."


Hussein said yesterday 18,500 square nautical miles were searched in the Australian search area.


Another two orange objects approximately one metre in length and one white coloured drum were also sighted by an aircraft by remain unidentified.


"The search for MH370 has taken us halfway around the world. At the moment there are new leads, but nothing conclusive," Hussein said.


"Our thoughts continue to be with the families who are still waiting for news. In the meantime, we are grateful for the on-going co-operation shown by our partners in this multinational search."



South Korea to Buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 Jets for $6.8bn


Lockheed Martin F-35 naval variant

Lockheed Martin F-35 naval variantwikipedia



South Korea is spending billions of dollars to boost its air force with modern fighter jets amid growing tensions with its neighbour North Korea.


The country will pay about $6.8bn (€4.9bn, £4.1bn) to buy 40 Lockheed Martin F-35 fighter jets, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters. It also plans to purchase four Northrop Grumman Global Hawk unmanned aircraft for monitoring purposes.


The F-35 deal will be finalised in the third quarter, with the first delivery in 2018. The drones will also be delivered starting from 2018, according to Reuters' sources.


South Korea decided to drop an option to buy 60 Boeing Co's F-15s last year, as it wanted better fighters with stealth capabilities.


Lockheed in a statement welcomed South Korea's announcement and said it would support discussions between Seoul and Washington to finalise the order this year.


"We are honored by and appreciate the trust and confidence the Republic of Korea has placed in the 5th Generation F-35 to meet its demanding security requirements," said Orlando Carvalho, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics executive vice president.


"We look forward to supporting the discussions between the Republic of Korea and U.S. governments in support of a final agreement this year."


South Korea is the 10th country to make a firm commitment to buy the new Lockheed fighter, joining the US, Britain, Australia, Norway, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Israel and Turkey.


Rising Defence Spending


South Korea has been in a political raw with its neighbour North Korea for several years.


Joint military drills by US and South Korea have worried North Korea, which said the countries are preparing for an invasion. From its part, North Korea has been launching rockets into the sea off its east cost.


Both the countries have boosted their defence budgets as the Korean Peninsula remains officially at war. The Korean War ended in 1953 with an armistice, and the countries are yet to sign a peace treaty.


South Korea was the eighth largest importer of major weapons in the world between 2009 and 2013, with 80% of the imports supplied from the US, according to think tank Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.



Oceanografia CEO Amado Yanez Quizzed By Police Over Citi's Banamex Fraud


Oceanografia CEO Amado Yanez Quizzed By Police Over Citi's Banamex Fraud

Oceanografia CEO Amado Yanez Quizzed By Police Over Citi's Banamex FraudReuters



Oceanografia's boss and majority shareholder, Amado Yanez, was questioned by police over his potential involvement in a fraud scandal, stemming from Citi's Mexico subsidiary, Banamex, which ended up costing the bank $235m.


Mexico's federal attorney general's office said in a statement that Yanez was held for questioning on 22 March after Yanez presented himself voluntarily.


The attorney general added that the office has also requested a temporary detention order that would forbid Yanez from travelling.


In February, Citi revealed that $400m (£243m, €290m) in fraudulent loans at Banco Nacional de Mexico – also known as Banamex – to Oceanografia had dragged down the bank's net income down to $13.7bn.


It cost the bank $235m in losses.


Since Citi unveiled the spate of fraudulent activity, Mexico's government took control of Oceanografia and launched a criminal investigation.



What Happened?


As of 31 December 2013, Citi, through Banamex, had extended approximately $585m of short-term credit to Oceanografia, a Mexican oil services company, through an accounts receivable financing programme.


OSA has been a key supplier to Petróleos Mexicanos (Pemex), the Mexican state-owned oil company.


Banamex extended credit to OSA to finance accounts receivables due from Pemex. Banamex also had approximately $33m in either outstanding loans made directly to OSA or standby letters of credit issued on OSA's behalf.


However, on 11 February 2014, Citi learned that OSA had been suspended from being awarded new Mexican government contracts.


Upon learning of this suspension, Citi, together with Pemex, commenced detailed reviews of their credit exposure to OSA and of the accounts receivable financing programme over the past several years.


As a consequence of these reviews, on 20 February 2014, Pemex asserted that a significant portion of the accounts receivables recorded by Banamex in connection with the Pemex accounts receivable financing programme were fraudulent and that the valid receivables were substantially less than the $585m referenced above.


Based on Citi's review, which included documentation provided by Pemex, Citi estimates that it is able to support the validity of approximately $185m of the $585m of accounts receivables owed to Banamex by Pemex.


This $185m consists of approximately $75m supported by documentation in Pemex records and approximately $110 m of documented work performed that was still going through the Pemex approval process.


The difference of an estimated $400m has been charged to operating expense in Transaction Services in the fourth quarter of 2013, with an offset to compensation expense of approximately $40m associated with the Banamex variable compensation plan.




US Bolsters Forces in Hunt for Ugandan Warlord Joseph Kony


Joseph Kony

Ugandan rebel leader of the LRA Joseph Kony.Reuters



US President Barack Obama is set to send 150 additional Special Operations troops and four military aircraft to Uganda to help capture warlord Joseph Kony who has been eluding an international dragnet since 2008.


The first batch of deployment began recently and four CV-22 Osprey aircraft and refuelling planes are expected to arrive in Uganda by mid-week, according to the Washington Post.


In the latest offensive, US forces are barred from fighting with the warlord's army unless in self-defence, although the US personnel are authorised to "provide information, advice and assistance" to African Union forces, already on the hunt for Kony.


Self-appointed 'spokesperson of God' and warlord


Kony is the leader of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a guerrilla group which formerly operated in Uganda. Following an international pursuit, he is said to be hiding in the jungles of Central Africa.


Initially formed to fight the government's oppressive measures in the mid-1980s, warlord Kony began proclaiming himself as a "spokesperson of God".


He was indicted by the International Criminal Court in 2005 of gruesome war crimes including killing and maiming people, recruiting child soldiers and perpetrating sexual abuse.


He was declared "Specially Designated Global Terrorists" by the US in 2008, and the same year, president George Bush signed a directive to provide financial and logistical assistance to the Ugandan state to capture Kony.


The campaign was unsuccessful, but the warlord was pushed further into the jungles.


In 2011, about 100 combat-equipped troops were positioned in Central Africa by the Obama administration to help the local troops close in on the fugitive. Even at that time, the major task of US forces was limited to providing strategic guidance.


"For more than two decades, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) has murdered, raped and kidnapped tens of thousands of men, women and children in central Africa," President Obama had said in a letter to Congress.


"Although the US forces are combat-equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defence."


In 2012, African Union forces joined the combat, sending 5,000 forces to isolate and weaken the LRA by targeting the splinter groups of the rebel organisation.


A 30-minute documentary on Kony was released in 2012 to draw international attention to the militant, and to lobby for greater US involvement in the hunt for him, which strengthened the Ugandan cause.