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วันเสาร์ที่ 2 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2558

Nepal quake: Airport customs holding up aid relief - UN

The United Nations has urged Nepal to relax customs controls which it says are holding up deliveries of aid to survivors of last week's earthquake.
UN humanitarian chief Valerie Amos said Nepal had a duty to provide faster customs clearance for relief supplies.
Many people are yet to receive the aid, which is piling up at Kathmandu airport, a week after the 7.8-magnitude earthquake on 25 April.
More than 7,000 have died. Authorities have ruled out finding more survivors.







'Administrative issues'
On Saturday, Baroness Amos said she had reminded Prime Minister Sushil Koirala that Nepal had signed an agreement with the UN in 2007 for simpler and faster customs clearance for relief aid in a disaster.
"He has undertaken to ensure that happens, so I hope that from now we will see an improvement in those administrative issues," she told AFP news agency.
The UN representative in the country, Jamie McGoldrick, said the Nepalese government "should not be using peacetime customs methodology"

Nepal lifted import taxes on tarpaulins and tents on Friday but home ministry spokesman Laxmi Prasad Dhakal said all goods arriving from abroad had to be inspected.
"This is something we need to do," he said.
Rameshwor Dangal, of Nepal's National Disaster Management Division, said many people were waiting to receive emergency supplies or be airlifted to safety.
"In many areas people are not getting relief and it is natural that they are unhappy about it," he told AFP.

At least 7,040 people are now known to have been killed in the quake which struck near Kathmandu, Nepalese officials say. More than 14,021 people were injured.
Landslides and poor weather have hampered efforts to deliver aid to isolated districts, and there are only about 20 helicopters available for the rescue and relief operations.
In the Sindhupalchok district, which lies north of Kathmandu, north of the capital, 95% of the houses were destroyed, chief district officer Himnath Dawadi told the BBC Nepali.
Nepal has criticised both the speed of foreign aid deliveries the type of products countries are sending.
Finance Minister Ram Sharan Mahat said: "We have received things like tuna fish and mayonnaise. What good are those things for us? We need grains, salt and sugar."

Boko Haram: 300 girls and women taken to safety

A group of nearly 300 women and girls, which the Nigerian army says were freed from Boko Haram militants earlier this week have been taken to a refugee camp in north-eastern Nigeria.
They had travelled for three days from the vast Sambisa forest where they were rescued, according to the army.




The group arrived in trucks and jeeps at a school converted into the camp in the city of Yola.
Earlier, the military said another 234 women and children had been rescued.
It said that operation took place on Thursday in the forest, a militant hideout.
Reports suggest nearly 700 women have been rescued from Boko Haram over the past week as the army continues its operation against militant strongholds.
Identity screening

But it is still not clear if any of the more than 200 girls abducted from a school in Chibok in April 2014 were among those freed.
The case caused international outrage and triggered a major campaign to get the Nigerian government to work for their release.
The military said the freed hostages were being screened to establish their identities.

Some analysts are sceptical of the army's claims - querying the the use of the term "rescue", says BBC Africa Editor Richard Hamilton.
They say the women were probably picked up by the military after the militants had fled.
While the army says the latest group freed were Boko Haram captives, a local senator says the women and children previously released may have been residents of the area.
The military earlier said it had destroyed 13 camps belonging to the Islamist insurgents in the Sambisa forest, which surrounds a reserve in Borno.
Thousands have been killed in northern Nigeria since Boko Haram began its insurgency in 2009 to create an Islamic state.
In February, Nigeria's military, backed by troops from neighbouring countries, launched a major offensive against the Islamist fighters, recapturing Boko Haram territory taken in the previous year.

wide unanimous decision in Las Vegas.

American Mayweather, 38, delivered a defensive masterclass against his Philippine rival, making the necessary adjustments after only a few rounds before disappearing out of sight.
Mayweather, who added the WBO welterweight title to the WBC and WBA titles he already owned, was awarded the fight 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 by the three judges.
With his victory, Mayweather also cemented his status as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of his generation.





The five-weight world champion is now undefeated in 48 professional fights, stretching back 19 years.
Six-weight world champion Pacquiao, 36, falls to 57 wins, six losses and two draws.
Tickets for the bout - billed as 'The Fight of the Century' - changed hands for as much as $350,000 (£232,000) and American fans were charged almost $100 (£66) to watch on television.

Floyd Mayweather emerged victorious from the most

Floyd Mayweather emerged victorious from the most lucrative fight in history, beating Manny Pacquiao via a wide unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
American Mayweather, 38, delivered a defensive masterclass against his Philippine rival, making the necessary adjustments after only a few rounds before disappearing out of sight.
Mayweather, who added the WBO welterweight title to the WBC and WBA titles he already owned, was awarded the fight 118-110, 116-112 and 116-112 by the three judges.
With his victory, Mayweather also cemented his status as the greatest pound-for-pound boxer of his generation.






The five-weight world champion is now undefeated in 48 professional fights, stretching back 19 years.
Six-weight world champion Pacquiao, 36, falls to 57 wins, six losses and two draws.
Tickets for the bout - billed as 'The Fight of the Century' - changed hands for as much as $350,000 (£232,000) and American fans were charged almost $100 (£66) to watch on television.

Rival broadcasters Showtime and HBO joined forces for the first time since Lennox Lewis fought Mike Tyson in 2002 to show the fight, with Jimmy Lennon Jr and Michael Buffer sharing ring announcer duties.
A-listers in the 16,507 crowd included actors Clint Eastwood and Robert De Niro, singers Sting and Prince, and US tycoon Donald Trump.
Multi Grammy Award winner Jamie Foxx sang the American national anthem prior to the fighters entering the ring. So prized was a seat that many celebrities were even sat behind the press row.
Pacquiao began his ring walk at 20:45 Vegas time - to the strains of a song he recorded especially for the occasion - and was awarded a rapturous reception. Mayweather, on the other hand, was roundly booed, despite being effectively the house fighter.
The opening round was extremely cagey, with both men trying to establish their distance, but Mayweather did land with a couple of eye-catching right hands on the counter.
Not only did Mayweather look noticeably bigger than Pacquiao, he also looked quicker in the early rounds.
And when Pacquiao did get close, Mayweather was content to tie him up, to both Pacquiao and the fans' frustration.
Mayweather rocked Pacquiao with two more rights in the second, although Pacquiao was able to get inside his rival's superior reach and unleash a couple of flurries.
The third round was a more even affair, with Pacquiao able to draw Mayweather into some exchanges and Mayweather doing plenty of rough stuff on the inside.
Pacquiao really came into the fight in the fourth, staggering Mayweather with a left hand, which many thought would be a key weapon in this fight.

Mayweather was forced to cover up on the ropes and many of Pacquiao's follow-up punches were caught on the arms and gloves, but a smile from the American signalled he may have been hurt.
Mayweather's head had cleared by the start of the fifth and he proceeded to win the round courtesy of his trusty right cross, with Pacquiao not applying enough pressure or displaying the aggression many felt he needed.
Pacquiao rocked Mayweather again in the sixth, before Mayweather got on his bike in the seventh, slipping and sliding out of reach and frustrating Pacquiao as he looked to engage.
In the eighth it was Mayweather's left that did most of the damage and although he did ship another sneaky left, by now it was apparent that Pacquiao, naturally the smaller man, did not have the necessary power.
It was more of the same in the ninth, during which there were definite signs that Pacquiao was tiring and the fight was beginning to get away from him.
By the 10th, Mayweather had made all the adjustments he needed to make and continually made Pacquiao miss, like a matador with an ailing bull, while doing enough on the counter to win the round.
In the 11th, Pacquiao had gone from bull to mouse, getting snapped on the nose time and time again by Mayweather's jab as he tried to get inside.

Pacquiao's expected late rally did not transpire and the air of resignation in the arena at the final bell told you everything you needed to know - that Mayweather had won an intriguing rather than thrilling fight with plenty to spare.
And while many observers who paid to watch would have been disappointed with the action, the fact that Mayweather won so handily was more proof of his unparalleled genius.
Pacquiao's pride will no doubt be salved when he next checks his bank account - it is estimated the fight will generate $400m (£265m) in total, with Mayweather and Pacquiao set to split in the region of $230m (£150m).
Afterwards Mayweather confirmed he would fight one more time in September before retiring, although the opportunity to surpass Rocky Marciano's mark of 49 fights undefeated might prove too tempting to pass up.
Amir Khan is on the list of possible opponents, as is fellow Briton and IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook.


Cheryl Fernandez-Versini leads celebrity tributes to Will and Kate after royal baby birth

HOARDS of celebrities took to Twitter in celebration today after the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge welcomed their second child.
Leading the tributes to the new princess was singer Cheryl Fernandez-Versini.

The 31-year-old wrote: "Congratulations William and Kate. So excited to see our new little princess!! #itsagirl."



This Morning star Eamonn Holmes also sent his well wishes. 

"It's a Girl ! One of each now for The Happy Couple," he wrote.

'We're very happy' Beaming William returns to Kate's beside with waving Prince George

PRINCE George waved to the crowds this afternoon as he arrived at his mother's bedside in the arms of his beaming dad to meet his new sister for the first time.
The adorable prince, wearing a blue jumper like his dad, looked to be in his element as he waved to the crowd from William's arms on the steps of the hospital as the jubilant crowd outside cheered him on. 









The pair got out of a black Range Rover which pulled up outside the hospital to bring them to Kate's bedside, with the adventurous George walking the first few steps before being scooped up in his dad's arms. 

The Duchess of Cambridge today gave birth to a little girl weighing 8lbs 3oz.

Prince William earlier revealed he was "very happy" as he made a quick dash to the royal residence to pick up his son.

Crowds of well-wishers whooped and cheered as the elated prince left St Mary's Hospital in Paddington less than seven hours after Kate gave birth to their baby daughter.
Two uniformed police officers stood attentively outside the Lindo Wing as William waved to the crowd which has gathered in jubilation outside the hospital. 

The Prince's exit was slightly delayed, thought be due to the fact that he stopped briefly on his way out to chat to members of the medical team who helped out with the birth of his daughter to thank them for their efforts.

Asked how the day had gone, the Prince grinned and replied "very well".


วันเสาร์ที่ 28 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2558

Lee Kuan Yew: Singaporeans urged not to join queues

  • Singapore's authorities have advised people to stop joining the queues to view founding father and statesman Lee Kuan Yew as he lies in state.



  • Some 250,000 people have already visited to pay respects to Mr Lee, who died on Monday aged 91.
  • A state funeral will be held on Sunday, with foreign dignitaries from around the world expected to attend.
  • India has declared it a national day of mourning, with flags flown at half-mast and no official entertainment.
  • Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the funeral.
  • Public viewing of Mr Lee's body, which has been open day and all night since Wednesday, will end on Saturday night.
  • Singaporean officials were caught off-guard by the overwhelming crowds that showed up, with the queue snaking through the city centre.
  • They warned that by Friday afternoon the queuing time to enter Parliament House was nine hours.

  • Authorities said in a statement that members of the public were "strongly advised" not to join the queue now, and redirected them to smaller tribute sites set up around the island.
  • The line has since been moved to the Padang, a large field used in central Singapore for parades and cricket matches, where tents and crowd control barricades have been set up.
  •  
Thanks BBC







Cambodia profile - Timeline

A chronology of key events


  1. 1863 - Cambodia becomes a protectorate of France. French colonial rule lasts for 90 years.

  1. 1941 - Prince Norodom Sihanouk becomes king. Cambodia is occupied by Japan during World War II.
  2. 1945 - The Japanese occupation ends.
  3. 1946 - France re-imposes its protectorate. A new constitution permits Cambodians to form political parties. Communist guerrillas begin an armed campaign against the French.
  4. Independence
  5. 1953 - Cambodia wins its independence from France. Under King Sihanouk, it becomes the Kingdom of Cambodia.
  6. 1955 - Sihanouk abdicates to pursue a political career. His father becomes king and Sihanouk becomes prime minister.
  7. 1960 - Sihanouk's father dies. Sihanouk becomes head of state.
  8. 1965 - Sihanouk breaks off relations with the US and allows North Vietnamese guerrillas to set up bases in Cambodia in pursuance of their campaign against the US-backed government in South Vietnam.
  9. 1969 - The US begins a secret bombing campaign against North Vietnamese forces on Cambodian soil.


  • 1970 - Prime Minister Lon Nol overthrows Sihanouk in coup. He proclaims the Khmer Republic and sends the army to fight the North Vietnamese in Cambodia. Sihanouk - in exile in China - forms a guerrilla movement. Over next few years the Cambodian army loses territory against the North Vietnamese and communist Khmer Rouge guerrillas
  • Cambodia Year Zero
  • 1975 - Lon Nol is overthrown as the Khmer Rouge led by Pol Pot occupy Phnom Penh. Sihanouk briefly becomes head of state, the country is re-named Kampuchea.
  • All city dwellers are forcibly moved to the countryside to become agricultural workers. Money becomes worthless, basic freedoms are curtailed and religion is banned. The Khmer Rouge coin the phrase "Year Zero".
  • Hundreds of thousands of the educated middle-classes are tortured and executed in special centres. Others starve, or die from disease or exhaustion. The total death toll during the next three years is estimated to be at least 1.7 million.
  • 1976 - The country is re-named Democratic Kampuchea. Sihanouk resigns, Khieu Samphan becomes head of state, Pol Pot is prime minister.
  • 1977 - Fighting breaks out with Vietnam.
  • 1978 - Vietnamese forces invade in a lightning assault.
  • 1979 January - The Vietnamese take Phnom Penh. Pol Pot and Khmer Rouge forces flee to the border region with Thailand.
  • The People's Republic of Kampuchea is established. Many elements of life before the Khmer Rouge take-over are re-established.
  • 1981 - The pro-Vietnamese Kampuchean People's Revolutionary Party wins parliamentary elections. The international community refuses to recognise the new government.
  • The government-in-exile, which includes the Khmer Rouge and Sihanouk, retains its seat at the United Nations.
  • 1985 - Hun Sen becomes prime minister. Cambodia is plagued by guerrilla warfare. Hundreds of thousands become refugees.
  • 1989 - Vietnamese troops withdraw. Hun Sen tries to attract foreign investment by abandoning socialism. The country is re-named the State of Cambodia. Buddhism is re-established as the state religion.

  • An uneasy peace
  • 1991 - A peace agreement is signed in Paris. A UN transitional authority shares power temporarily with representatives of the various factions in Cambodia. Sihanouk becomes head of state. 






Coup
  • 1997 - Hun Sen mounts a coup against the prime minister, Prince Ranariddh, and replaces him with Ung Huot. The coup attracts international condemnation. The Khmer Rouge put Pol Pot on trial and sentence him to life imprisonment.



  • 1998 - Prince Ranariddh is tried in his absence and found guilty of arms smuggling, but is then pardoned by the king.
  • 1998 April - Pol Pot dies in his jungle hideout.
  • 1998 July - Elections are won by Hun Sen's CPP, amid allegations of harassment. A coalition is formed between the CPP and Funcinpec. Hun Sen becomes prime minister, Ranariddh is president of the National Assembly.
  • 2001 - A law setting up a tribunal to bring genocide charges against Khmer Rouge leaders is passed. International donors, encouraged by reform efforts, pledge $560 million in aid.
  • 2001 June - US-based Cambodian Freedom Fighters (CFF) members convicted of 2000 attack in Phnom Penh. Group pledges to continue campaign to overthrow Hun Sen.
  • 2001 December - First bridge across the Mekong River opens, linking east and west Cambodia.
  • 2002 -First multi-party local elections; ruling Cambodian People's Party wins in all but 23 out of 1,620 communes. Ranariddh's half-brother Prince Norodom Chakrapong sets up his own Norodom Chakrapong Khmer Soul Party.
  • 2003 - Serious diplomatic upset with Thailand over comments attributed to a Thai TV star that the Angkor Wat temple complex was stolen from Thailand. Angry crowds attack the Thai embassy in Phnom Penh. Hun Sen's Cambodian People's Party wins general elections but fails to secure sufficient majority to govern alone.
  • Hun Sen re-elected
  • 2004 - After nearly a year of political deadlock, Prime Minister Hun Sen is re-elected after CPP strikes a deal with the royalist Funcinpec party. Parliament ratifies kingdom's entry into World Trade Organisation (WTO). King Sihanouk abdicates and is succeeded by his son Norodom Sihamoni.
  • 2005 February - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy goes abroad after parliament strips him of immunity from prosecution, leaving him open to defamation charges brought by the ruling coalition.
  • 2005 April - Tribunal to try Khmer Rouge leaders gets green light from UN after years of debate about funding.
  • 2005 December - Rainsy is convicted in absentia of defaming Hun Sen and is sentenced to 18 months in prison
  • 2006 February - Rainsy receives a royal pardon and returns home.
  • 2006 May - Parliament votes to abolish prison terms for defamation.
  • 2006 July - Ta Mok, one of the top leaders of the Khmer Rouge regime, dies aged 80.
  • 2006 November - Funcinpec party, a junior partner in the ruling coalition, drops Prince Norodom Ranariddh as its leader.
  • Khmer Rouge trials
  • 2007 March - Ranariddh is sentenced in absentia to 18 months in prison for selling the Funcinpec party's headquarters - a charge he denies.
  • 2007 July - UN-backed tribunals begin questioning Khmer Rouge suspects about allegations of genocide.
  • 2007 September - Most senior surviving Khmer Rouge member, Nuon Chea - "Brother Number Two" - is arrested and charged with crimes against humanity.
  • 2008 April - US court convicts CFF leader Chhun Yasith of masterminding 2000 attack in Phnom Penh.
  •  
  • 2008 July - Hun Sen's ruling CPP claims victory in parliamentary elections criticised by EU monitors. Cambodia and Thailand move troops to disputed land near Preah Vihear temple after decision to list it as UN World Heritage Site fans nationalist sentiment on both sides.
  • 2008 October - Two Cambodian soldiers die in an exchange of fire with Thai troops in the disputed area. Thai soldier dies later of wounds.
  • New spat with Thailand
  • 2009 - Former Khmer Rouge leader Kaing Guek Eav known as Duch goes on trial on charges of presiding over the murder and torture of thousands of people as head of the notorious Tuol Sleng prison camp.
  • Parliament again strips opposition leader Sam Rainsy of immunity. He is charged but fails to appear in court.
  • Another row with Thailand, after Cambodia refuses to extradite ex-Thai prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra and appoints him as an economic adviser instead.
  • 2010 - Comrade Duch is found guilty of crimes against humanity and given 35-year prison sentence.
  • Diplomatic ties with Thailand resumed after Cambodian government announces resignation of Thaksin Shinawatra.
  • Exiled opposition leader Sam Rainsy is sentenced in absentia to 10 years in jail after being found guilty of manipulating a map to suggest Cambodia is losing land to Vietnam.
  • 2011 - Tensions rise as Cambodia charges two Thai citizens with spying after they were arrested for crossing the disputed border. Respective forces exchange fire across the border. Hun Sen calls for UN peacekeepers.




  • Three most senior surviving Khmer Rouge members, including leader Pol Pot's right-hand man, "Brother Number Two" Nuon Chea, go on trial on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity.
  • Cambodia and Thailand agree to withdraw troops from disputed area.
  • 2012 February - Duch loses appeal against conviction at UN-backed tribunal and has sentence increased to life.
  • 2012 March - A second judge quits the tribunal. Swiss Judge Laurent Kasper-Ansermet says going because his Cambodian counterpart, You Bunleng, had thwarted attempts to investigate some former members of the Khmer Rouge regime.
  • 2012 April - Outspoken environmental activist Chut Wutty is shot dead in a confrontation with police while travelling in a threatened forest region in the south-west.
  • 2012 May - Government suspends the granting of land for development by private companies in a bid to curb evictions and illegal logging.
  • Border tension eases
  • 2012 July - Cambodia and Thailand withdraw their troops from a disputed border area near the Preah Vihear temple in line with a ruling by the International Court of Justice which aims to halt outbreaks of armed conflict in recent years.


  • 2012 October - Former king, Norodom Sihanouk, dies of a heart attack. He was 89.
  • 2012 November - Government approves the controversial Lower Sesan 2 hydroelectric dam project on a tributary of the Mekong.
  • 2013 February - Tens of thousands of people turn out in Phnom Penh for the cremation of the former king, Norodom Sihanouk.
  • 2013 March - Former Khmer Rouge foreign minister Ieng Sary dies while awaiting trial for genocide, leaving only Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan among prominent Khmer Rouge figures still alive and under arrest by the UN-backed tribunal.
  • 2013 June - Parliament passes a bill making it illegal to deny that atrocities were committed by the Khmer Rouge in the 1970s.
  • 2013 July - Opposition leader Sam Rainsy returns from exile.
  • Parliamentary elections. Ruling party of premier Hun Sen claims victory, opposition alleges widespread irregularities.

  • 2013 September - Mass protests in Phnom Penh over contested election results. Parliament approves new five-year term for Hun Sen. Opposition boycotts opening of parliament.
  • 2014 January - Riot police clear a two-week opposition protest camp held in Phnom Penh as part of a long-running campaign launched against the government after the disputed 2013 election.
  • 2014 July - More than 150,000 Cambodian workers return home from neighbouring Thailand after rumours circulate that the new military junta there will crack down on illegal migrants.
  • Opposition Cambodia National Rescue Party (CNRP) agrees to end its year-long boycott of parliament as part of an agreement with Prime Minister Hun Sen to break the deadlock over the disputed 2013 parliamentary election.
  • 2014 August - A UN-backed court in Cambodia sentences two senior Khmer Rouge leaders to life in prison for their role in the terror that swept the country in the 1970s. The two, second-in-command Nuon Chea, and the former head of state Khieu Samphan, are the first top Khmer Rouge figures to be jailed.
  • 2015 January - Prime Minister Hun Sen marks thirty years in power.

Thanks BBC




What drives people to murder-suicide?

  • The question has been raised - is 27-year-old Andreas Lubitz a mass murderer for bringing down a plane full of passengers, killing everyone on board?
  • Reports of a "mass murder" investigation in France and pictures of German policemen carting bags of evidence from his parents' home suggest that officials are determined to find out.
 
  • But this appears to be a case of murder-suicide, which is very different and extremely rare.
  • In these incidents, one person wishing to end their life takes the lives of others - in this case, complete strangers - at the same time.
  • The statistics show that most murder-suicides happen in domestic settings, and involve a man and his spouse. 
  •  
  • What drives people to these acts is therefore virtually impossible to determine because there is no common theme and the perpetrators don't leave notes explaining their actions.
  • In contrast to the motivations of a suicide bomber, which are intentionally well-publicised, those behind a murder-suicide are usually more difficult to fathom.
  • No-one, of course, can pretend to know what was in Lubitz's mind as he locked the cockpit door and instigated the plane's devastating descent.
  • 'Inexplicable'
  • Simon Wessely, president of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, says it's unlikely we will ever know.
  • "It's possible something will emerge, but in most suicides people leave clues or a message.
  • "Incredibly extreme events like this are sometimes just inexplicable."
  • Despite this, the media has been quick to point the finger at Lubitz's history of depression.
  • German newspapers have also reported that he had received psychiatric treatment and may have been experiencing a "personal life crisis".
  • In reality, there is a multitude of factors, feelings and personality traits which could push someone to such an extreme course of action.
  • Alcohol problems, drug misuse, broken relationships or marriages, personality disorders, work stresses - in the past or at the time of the act - can all play a part.
  • Mental health charities agree, and have been queuing up to plead for more understanding about depression, and less sensationalist language.
  • They say the vast majority of people with depression do not hurt anyone, and research shows that their risk is primarily to themselves.
  • Stigma danger
  • Marjorie Wallace, chief executive of mental health charity Sane, says: "There are thousands of people with a diagnosis of depression, including pilots, who work, hold positions of high responsibility and who present no danger whatsoever.
  • "We do not know what part depression played in this tragedy but it is a condition that should never be trivialised."
  • Charities said there was a danger that mental health problems could be stigmatised by coverage of the crash, making people more afraid to talk about their experiences.
  • Dr Paul Keedwell, consultant psychiatrist and specialist in mood disorders, also says mental health problems are not a sufficient explanation for what happened.
  • "Among cases of murder-suicide in general, the rate of previously diagnosed depression varies from 40% to 60%, depending on the context."
  • But he does say that of those who are depressed, very few are being treated for it.
  • It is clear that men find it particularly difficult to seek help if they have a history of mental illness.
  • In the UK, for example, 75% of suicides are in men.
  • Lubitz passed the tests set by his employer which indicated he was fit to fly, but it has since come to light that he may have been hiding an illness from them.
  • This illness and his seeming inability to talk about it or come to terms with it may hold some small clue to his actions.
  • But, in reality, there is never going to be an adequate explanation for murder-suicides - particularly for the families of those killed.

Thanks BBC

Alps Germanwings crash co-pilot Lubitz 'made prediction'

  • The Germanwings co-pilot thought to have deliberately crashed his Airbus in the French Alps, killing 150 people, predicted "one day everyone will know my name", his ex-girlfriend says.



http://newsth1.blogspot.com/

  • In an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper, she recalled a comment Andreas Lubitz made last year.
  • "One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember," he told her.
  • Flight 4U 9525 crashed on Tuesday.
  • The woman, a 26-year-old flight attendant who flew with Mr Lubitz for five months last year, was "very shocked" when she heard the news, the papers says.
  • If Mr Lubitz deliberately brought down the plane, "it is because he understood that because of his health problems, his big dream of a job at Lufthansa, as captain and as a long-haul pilot was practically impossible," she told Bild.
  • The black box voice recorder indicates that Mr Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit on Tuesday and crashed the plane into a mountainside in what appears to have been a suicide and mass killing.
  • German prosecutors say they found medical documents at Mr Lubitz's house suggesting an existing illness and evidence of medical treatment. They found torn-up sick notes, one of them for the day of the crash.
  • They say he seems to have concealed his illness from his employers.
  • His former girlfriend told Bild they separated, "because it became increasingly clear that he had a problem".
  • She said he was plagued by nightmares and would at times wake up screaming "we're going down".

  • A hospital in the German city of Duesseldorf has confirmed Mr Lubitz was a patient there recently but it denied media reports that he had been treated for depression.
  • The theory that a mental illness such as depression had affected the co-pilot was suggested by German media, quoting internal aviation authority documents.
  • They said he had suffered a serious depressive episode while training in 2009.

  •  He reportedly went on to receive treatment for a year and a half and was recommended regular psychological assessment.
  • Mr Lubitz's employers insisted that he had only been allowed to resume training after his suitability was "re-established".
  • French police say the search for passenger remains and debris on the mountain slopes could take another two weeks.
  • In the aftermath of the crash, the EU's aviation regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has urged airlines to adopt new safety rules.
  • In future, it says, two crew members should be present in the cockpit at all times.





Thanks BBC





วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 26 มีนาคม พ.ศ. 2558

Germanwings plane crash: Co-pilot 'wanted to destroy plane'

The co-pilot of the Germanwings flight that crashed in the French Alps, named as Andreas Lubitz, appeared to want to "destroy the plane", officials said.Marsei

  • lle prosecutor Brice Robin, citing information from the "black box" voice recorder, said the co-pilot was alone in the cockpit.
  • He intentionally started a descent while the pilot was locked out.
  • Mr Robin said there was "absolute silence in the cockpit" as the pilot fought to re-enter it.
  • He said air traffic controllers made repeated attempts to contact the aircraft, but to no avail. Passengers could be heard screaming just before the crash, he added.
  • Details are emerging of the German co-pilot's past - although his apparent motives for causing the crash remain a mystery.
  • Live updates from the day
  • What happened in the final half hour?
  • Mr Lubitz, 27, had undergone intensive training and "was 100% fit to fly without any caveats", according to Carsten Spohr, the head of Lufthansa, the German carrier that owns Germanwings.










  • The disclosure of the likely cause of the crash has provoked anger.
  • "One person can't have the right to end the lives of hundreds of people and families," Esteban Rodriguez, a Spanish factory worker who lost two friends aboard the aircraft, told the Associated Press news agency.
  • The principal of a German high school that lost 16 pupils and two teachers in the crash said the latest news was "much, much worse than we had thought".
  • The second "black box" - that records flight data - has still not been found.



  • Other incidents thought to be caused by deliberate pilot action
  • 29 November 2013: A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck.
  • 31 October 1999: An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive.
  • 19 December 1997: More than 100 people were killed when a Boeing 737 travelling from Indonesia to Singapore crashed. The pilot - suffering from "multiple work-related difficulties" - was suspected of switching off the flight recorders and intentionally putting the plane into a dive. 









Thanks BBC