A seaplane was not following an authorised route when it plunged into a river north of Sydney, killing six people, the flight operator says.Five members of a British family and a Canadian pilot died in the incident on 31 December. There were no survivors. A preliminary report, released on Wednesday, did not draw any conclusions about why the plane had crashed. But Sydney Seaplanes described events moments before the crash as “totally inexplicable”. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) report said the DHC-2 Beaver had made a steep right turn before diving nose-first into the Hawkesbury River at Jerusalem Bay, about 50km (30 miles) from the city. “The key question arising from the report is why the plane crashed approximately half way down Jerusalem Bay… the plane simply should not have been where it was,” said Sydney Seaplanes chief executive Aaron Shaw. Among the victims was Richard Cousins, the chief executive of FTSE 100 catering company Compass Group. Mr Cousins, 58, died alongside his 48-year-old fiancée, magazine editor Emma Bowden, her 11-year-old daughter Heather and his sons, Edward, 23, and William, 25, and pilot Gareth Morgan, 44. The ATSB said it was investigating why Mr Morgan had flown in that direction. Mr Nagy said investigators were exploring whether the sudden turn was “an attempt to turn around or whether it was a planned turn”. Mr Morgan and the family from Tooting, in south-west London, had been flying back to Sydney from a waterfront restaurant near the crash site. Cause remains… [Read full story]
Investors to turn more cautious, say brokers Phuong Thao By Phuong Thao - The Saigon Times Daily HCMC - Although both indices rebounded on reassurance by authorities to investigate rumors last Friday, securities firms predicted that the markets would witness seesaw trading and low liquidity this week as investor sentiment has turned cautious after a volatile week. The panic that caused last Thursday’s massive sell-off was well soothed by assurances that the rumors that spread in the market were ungrounded. Related agencies also announced they had begun an investigation into the spread of the rumors detrimental to the stock market.…... [read more]
Nation, Hungary for greater co-operation, says PM Dung (16-10-2007) HA NOI — Viet Nam wants to promote further comprehensive co-operation with Hungary in those areas in which each of the two countries have advantages, particularly commerce, trade and tourism, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung said yesterday in a meeting with the new Hungarian ambassador. Dung asked Ambassador Laszlo Vizi, on assuming his diplomatic post, to act as a bridge to further promote bilateral relations in all areas. Dung also thanked the Hungarian people for their past assistance in Viet Nam's struggle for national independence and freedom and the current effort…... [read more]
ASEAN must up information co-operation, says minister (25-05-2007) Jakarta — Members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) must increase co-operation in the information sector, said Viet Nam's Vice Minister of Culture and Information Do Quy Doan yesterday. In the context of globalisation and the rapid development of information technology, closer co-operation in the information sector is vital to successfully building a stable, prosperous, and dynamic community in the region, the Vietnamese Vice Minister said at the ninth conference of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Information (AMRI) in Jakarta that started yesterday. Indonesian Information Minister Muhammad Nuh agreed with Doan,…... [read more]
The incident unfolded at the Banksia Road Public School on Tuesday when the car ploughed into a wooden classroom building with 24 students inside.Two boys bore the brunt of the impact and died, while three young girls are fighting for their lives, leaving the community in shock.The 52-year-old woman driver, Maha Al-Shennag, has been charged with two counts of dangerous driving causing death and with negligent driving.Police have indicated the crash was being treated as non-intentional.Her lawyer Nick Hanna told the Sydney Daily Telegraph she was "deeply sorry for the loss and hurt suffered by the children, the school, the…... [read more]
The 28-year-old German co-pilot of the Germanwings airliner that crashed in the French Alps killing all 150 people aboard appears to have brought down the Airbus A320 with the intent to destroy it, a French prosecutor said on Thursday. Andreas Lubitz gained sole control of the aircraft after the captain left the cockpit, refused to re-open the door and appears to have operated controls, sending the plane into its fatal descent, Marseille prosecutor Brice Robin said. He did this "for a reason we cannot fathom right now but which looks like intent to destroy this aircraft," Robin told a news…... [read more]
