Bollywood fans have expressed shock at the sudden death of one of India's biggest film stars Sridevi Kapoor at the age of 54.Her family said the actress known simply as Sridevi died of a heart attack in Dubai, where she was attending a family wedding. Veteran Bollywood actress Sridevi Kapoor was considered by many to be the first female superstar of Hindi cinema. Social media sites are being flooded with condolences, with many users expressing shock that the actress died still relatively young. From the age of four, she had worked in films in the Tamil, Telugu, Malaylam, Kannada and Hindi languages. She was considered one of the very few Indian female superstars capable of huge box office success without the support of a male hero. Sridevi's husband Boney Kapoor and daughter Khushi were with her when she died, reports say. The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, paid tribute to the late star, writing on Twitter: "Really enjoyed meeting Bollywood icon Sri Devi on my recent trip to India. "So sad to hear the news of the death of such a terrifically talented actress, performer and producer." She debuted as a lead actress in a Bollywood film in 1978, soon becoming one of India's biggest film stars. Over five decades, she starred in more than 150 films, including such Bollywood classics as Mr India, Chandni, ChaalBaaz and Sadma. The versatile actress decided to take a break from the film industry after the release of Judaai in 1997. She made a comeback in 2012, starring in English Vinglish. In 2013, the Indian government awarded her the Padma Shri - the fourth highest civilian honour. - BBC Pilot in contract dogfight with Defence Department over its Pacific aerial surveillance Âoperation21/2/2018
One of Australia’s most battle-hardened Vietnam War pilots is bringing a multi-million-dollar lawsuit against the Department of Defence over its Pacific aerial surveillance operation.
Veteran forward air controller Chris Langton, who survived being shot down twice while flying 400 missions in the war, originally held a Defence contract to undertake aerial surveillance in the Western Pacific from 2014-15 with what he alleges was a clear option to extend. But in August 2015, he alleges, Defence abruptly told him it was discontinuing the contract, leaving his Australian company millions of dollars out of pocket. The contract was then put up to tender and was awarded to the little-known US company Technology Service Corporation, which has since become embroiled in controversy over its sole surveillance plane, a Cessna 337, being grounded in Yap. Last week, The Australian revealed how the 40-year-old Cessna had not flown any surveillance missions because it was grounded in December after the plane was taken on a photo-op flight that raised concerns with local authorities about permits. A frustrated Langton says the grounding of the aircraft is indicative of Defence’s lack of experience in operating in the Pacific. He confirmed he was taking legal action against Defence over the cancellation of his 2015 contract. “We were stunned and shocked when (the contract was not renewed). We had been led to believe all along that it would continue. We had to sell two planes within six months and had to lay off the crews and all the agents across the Pacific Islands.’’ Langton, 75, said he had been given legal advice to say he had a case for breach of contract worth millions of dollars. He said that during last year, his lawyers had been corresponding with the Defence Department through to December seeking some form of settlement but now, because of unsatisfactory responses, he would be filing in court for breach of contract. “They (Defence) have already been issued with a letter of demand and we have received a letter back which is unsatisfactory and we intend to file as soon as possible,’’ he said. Langton said he had been doubly frustrated with the situation as Defence’s cancellation of his contract in 2015 left him out of pocket and unable to enter the tender process when the new contract was offered up last year. He also alleges that one of his proposals to Defence to develop the contract in 2015 appeared to have been copied and offered out in the Defence Department’s Invitation to Register an Interest for the most recent contract. Lawyers for Defence have rejected Langton’s letter of demand, saying they consider the claims contained in the draft pleading to be “without merit”. TSC has referred all questions about the issue to Defence. A Defence spokesman said: “It is not appropriate to comment further at this time.” He said the approach to deliver the aerial surveillance component had been informed by Defence’s vast military and contract experiences delivering regional maritime aerial surveillance in support of Pacific Island countries. Defence has repeatedly refused to answer questions from The Australian as to exactly what are the problems that have grounded the TSC aircraft in Yap and when they would be resolved. SOURCE: THE AUSTRALIA UNITED STATES: At least 17 people are dead after a 19-year-old man opened fire at a high school campus in Parkland, Florida, police have said. The suspect has been named as Nikolas Cruz, 19, and is a former student at the school who had been expelled. As the attack unfolded students were forced to hide as police swooped in on the building. It is one of the deadliest school shootings since 26 people were killed at a Connecticut school in 2012. Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel told reporters Cruz killed three people outside the school, before entering the building and killing another 12. Two people later died after being taken to hospital. “It’s catastrophic. There really are no words,” Sheriff Israel tweeted later. Dr Evan Boyar of Broward Health told reporters late on Wednesday that 17 people total had been taken to area hospitals. He added that Mr Cruz was among those treated and was released into police custody. Three people remained in a critical condition and three others were in stable condition, he said. The victims are still being identified. Sheriff Israel said a football coach was among the dead but no names have been released. On Wednesday, the local public school district tweeted that “students and staff heard what sounded like gunfire” just before the end of the day at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Witnesses said that the suspect pulled a fire alarm before the violence erupted. Police and SWAT team members swarmed the campus and began clearing students from the school in Parkland, about an hour north of Miami, as parents and ambulances converged on the scene. Mr Cruz, who had been expelled for “disciplinary reasons”, was taken into custody without incident in the nearby town of Coral Springs about an hour after he left the high school, according to police. “We have already begun to dissect his websites and things on social media that he was on and some of the things… are very, very disturbing,” Sheriff Israel said. “Just a horrible day for us,” said Robert Runcie, the superintendent of the county’s school district. Many students said they thought it was a drill after hearing the fire alarm go off shortly before the shooting. Students told US media they hid under desks, in closets or barricaded doors as loud shots rang out. One student, Bailey Vosberg, said: “I heard what sounded like fireworks and I looked at my friend and he asked me if I heard that.” -BBC SuperVolcanoes a scary They don’t work like other volcanoes. They’re huge — but thin — patches of the Earth’s crust. When the enormous mass of lava burbling beneath bursts through to the surface, they can change the planet. They already have. Several times. Yellowstone National Park is the most publicised beast. There’s another under Naples, Italy. But one positioned in the ocean off southern Japan is only now being understood by science. A research paper published in Nature Scientific Reports states a lava dome is expanding within the Kikai Caldera. This is just 50km south of Kyushu — Japan’s most southerly main island. The dome itself is 9.5km wide. The seabed has been forced upwards some 610 meters by more than 31 cubic kilometres of lava. Its peak sits just 30m beneath the ocean waves. But the dome is not in itself a problem. It’s what it represents. It means a vastly bigger crucible of magma below has begun building up pressure once again. If it bursts, researchers say it could kill some 100 million people. Kikai has exploded before. Japanese volcanologists have found ample evidence of an eruption of 500 cubic kilometres of magma some 7000 years ago. There is evidence of another super-eruption about 95,000 years ago. And another some 140,000 years. Where it’s at now, volcanologist Yoshiyuki Tatsumi says there is about a 1 per cent chance of a “catastrophic” eruption within 100 years. Three surveys have conducted sonar, submersible and seismic mapping of the site to get a picture of what is going on down below. Another is scheduled for next month. “The lava dome is chemically different from the super-eruption, suggesting that a new magma supply system had been developed after 7,300 years ago,” Tatsumi told The New York Times. This means the supervolcano has found a new and different source of magma. “The post-caldera activity is regarded as the preparation stage to the next super-eruption,” Tatsumi told Live Science, “not as the calming-down stage from the previous super-eruption.” Amid the evidence for this are active hydrothermal springs and dense streams of gas bubbling up from the sea bed. But evidence of life is not evidence of an impending mega eruptions The lava dome is a sign. But not a portent of doom. But if it was to burst, the resulting eruption of steam and gas would have a serious effect on the global climate. Temperatures would plunge by several degrees. Crops would fail. The weather would go wild. Exactly how far down the track of this terrible fate Kikai has travelled is hoped to be determined next month. A new survey involving seismic and electromagnetic sensors will combine with underwater robots to clarify exactly what shape the caldera is in — and thereby hopefully exposing what forces are at play. Researchers also hope to form a picture of the underground magma reservoir to a depth of 30km. Based on these results, they hope to refine expectations for when the next eruption is due Hundreds of people are still in shelters in American Samoa, three days after Cyclone Gita caused flooding and damage to buildings in the territory. Yesterday US President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the territory. Our correspondent, Monica Miller, said most of the shops in the capital of Pago Pago were closed or heavily damaged. She said nearly 800 people, including elderly and children, remained in emergency accommodation. "Those are the families that are going to take a while to get back on their feet. Schools are off for the whole week, government schools and a lot of the private schools as well. The government will have to to find an alternative place to move some of these families too. "Some of them may well move in with churches at this stage but it is going to take a while for these people to get back on their feet." Big clean up needed in Samoa Meanhwile, people in Samoan are being advised to do a very thorough clean up of their homes and businesses following Cyclone Gita. ncreased dengue fever cases have been an ongoing concern since late last year, and the cyclone has left many pools of stagnant water where mosquitoes can breed. Our correspondent Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said locals were also being asked to boil water, while a significant number are still without electricity He said he had been busy cleaning out his own home which was flooded with muddy water. "I am still working on my clean up. You know my house was flooded and we have to clear out everything from the house and get good hoses of water and have a good clean up and dry things out in the sun. You know we are nowhere near Tonga, we are very minor." Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia said the hearts of many Samoans are with the people of Tonga. ..RNZI A man charged with strangling a Christchurch sex worker and then setting her alight has been described as mentally imbalanced by his legal counsel.Sainey Marong, a 33-year-old butcher from Ilam, is charged with murdering the 22-year-old in May 2016. He has pleaded not guilty to one count of murder, and his trial began today at the High Court in Christchurch. Renee Duckmanton was last seen in Christchurch's red light district, near Manchester and Peterborough streets.In his opening statement, crown prosecutor Sean Mallett told the court Mr Marong strangled the victim after employing her services as a sex worker on 14 May 2016. He described how Ms Duckmanton's body was found the next day. "[Renee] left for work ... the next day members of the public noticed a fire on the grass verge along Main Rakaia Road ... as good Samaritans, they stopped to attend the blaze and call the fire service," he said. "What they had in fact stumbled on was a grizzly sight ... the half naked and burning body of Renee Duckmanton." An investigation was then launched by the police, code-named Operation Lightning. Mr Mallett said the investigation found that the defendant purchased about two litres of petrol from a local service station which he allegedly used to set the victim's body on fire after dumping her body. A beanie and a lighter, both containing Mr Marong's DNA, was found at the scene, as well as a sheep's tongue. Mr Mallett said several unusual internet searches were also found on the defendant's phone. "In the weeks leading up to the murder, the defendant searched on his phone 'What kidnappers use to make someone unconscious' following searches for chloroform and chemical suppliers in New Zealand," he said. "He accessed a web article 'How to kidnap girl, an informative guide' and typed into Google 'How to track a phone'." Other topics, including necrophilia, were also found amongst the defendant's web history. Today, friends and family of the victim filled almost of half of the public gallery as the trial began, while Mr Marong sat calmly in the dock. Mr Mallett warned the jury that pictures of the victim's burnt body would be shown during the trial. Defence counsel Jonathan Krebs urged the jury to keep an open mind. "What is said to have occurred ... might be understood and rationalised through the lens of mental imbalance," he said. "I must encourage you ... to keep an open mind." The trial is expected to last three weeks. Logan Church , Reporter: @loganchurch01 logan.church@radionz.co.nz : Radio New Zealand The Alliance of Independent Journalists has criticised the Indonesian government for banning three BBC journalists from reporting on a measles and malnutrition outbreak in Papua.The ban was imposed after officials took exception at tweets posted by one of them. A journalist Rebecca Henschke was told to leave Papua after she posted a picture, showing boxes of food and drinks on a dock, captioned "This is the aid coming in for severely malnourished children in Papua- instant noodles, super sweet soft drinks and biscuits." The military, which is taking part in the health mission in Asmat, said what she wrote did not reflect the truth because the food and drinks were not humanitarian aid, but products sold by merchants and accidentally placed on the dock. The Immigration Directorate General spokesperson Agung Sampurno said the tweets were offensive not only to the government but also to Indonesian people. RNZI The US military is concerned that Russia is underestimating US capability Moscow has condemned US military proposals to develop new, smaller atomic bombs mainly to deter any Russian use of nuclear weapons. Russia's foreign minister called the move "confrontational", and expressed "deep disappointment". The proposals stem from concerns that Russia may see current US nuclear weapons as too big to be used. This could mean, according to the US military, that those weapons are no longer an effective deterrent. Russia's counterblast The Russian foreign ministry accuses the US of warmongering in its statement, issued less than 24 hours after the US proposals were published. The latest thinking was revealed in a Pentagon policy statement known as the Nuclear Posture Review (NPR). Russia says it will take "necessary measures" to ensure Russian security. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov - "disappointed" "From first reading, the confrontational and anti-Russian character of this document leaps out at you," the statement says. A foretaste of Mr Lavrov's anger came in a statement on Friday from the Russian senator and defence expert Frantz Klintsevich, who dubbed it "a very dangerous bet on breaking up the world strategic balance of forces" in favour of the US. What is behind the US proposals? They are not just about Russia. The US military is worried about the nuclear arsenal becoming obsolete and potential threats from countries such as China, North Korea and Iran. But a major US concern is over Russian perceptions. The document argues that smaller nuclear weapons - with a yield of less than 20 kilotons - would challenge any assumption that US weapons are too massive to serve as a credible deterrent. Such bombs would have the same explosive power as the one dropped on the Japanese city of Nagasaki at the end of World War Two, killing more than 70,000 people. "Our strategy will ensure Russia understands that any use of nuclear weapons, however limited, is unacceptable," the document says. The proposed "tactical" nuclear weapons would not increase America's arsenal, which is already considerable, but would repurpose existing warheads. Critics have accused the Trump administration of challenging the spirit of non-proliferation agreements. What is the US doing to its nuclear weapons? 🔳 Land-based ballistic missiles, submarine-launched missiles, and air-delivered weapons - to be extensively modernised as begun under ex-President Obama 🔳 Proposed modification of some submarine-launched nuclear warheads to give a lower-yield or less powerful detonation 🔳 Return of sea-based nuclear cruise missiles BBC News The US Congress has released a memo accusing the FBI of abusing its power in its investigations into Donald Trump's presidential campaign.The memo, written by Republicans, alleges the FBI used unsubstantiated evidence to spy on a Trump aide. The FBI had warned against the memo's release and said key facts had been omitted. Democrats said it was aimed at derailing ongoing investigations into the Trump campaign's links with Russia. The memo has become a flashpoint in the bitter dispute between Republicans and Democrats over investigations into whether Russia colluded with the Trump campaign in the 2016 election. What's in the memo? It centres on court-approved wiretapping of Carter Page, a foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign who was put under electronic surveillance by the FBI. But the memo accuses the FBI and the justice department of using an unsubstantiated and Democratic-funded report to obtain the October 2016 warrant that gave permission to spy on Mr Page. It said that they did not tell the authorities their claim to the warrant was partially based on a dossier funded in part by the rival Hillary Clinton campaign. It also said the author of the dossier, a former British intelligence agent called Christopher Steele, told a senior justice department official that he was "desperate" that Mr Trump not win the vote. The report said that all this represents "a troubling breakdown of legal processes established to protect the American people from abuses". The memo was top secret, but it was approved for release by the House Intelligence Committee on Monday and by Mr Trump on Friday. How have Republicans reacted? Republicans who support the release of the memo say it exposes malpractice and political bias within the FBI and justice department. Asked about the contents of the memo, Mr Trump said a lot of people should be "ashamed of themselves". Earlier on Friday the president accused top officials of politicising FBI and justice department investigations to damage his Republican party. Devin Nunes, who commissioned the memo, has said it shows "serious violations" of public trust and he hopes it will trigger reforms. Mr Page, the Trump aide who was the subject of the surveillance, said he would use the memo in upcoming legal action against the justice department. But not all Republicans supported the release of the memo. Senator John McCain strongly criticised his party colleagues for attacking the FBI and the justice department, and accused Mr Trump of undermining the rule of law. What has the other reaction been? Democrats say the memo is a "shameful effort to discredit" the FBI and inquiries into Russian meddling in the 2016 election. Democratic House leader Nancy Pelosi said "by not protecting intelligence sources and methods, [Trump] just sent his friend Putin a bouquet". Democrats have warned Mr Trump in a letter not to use the memo as a "pretext" to fire senior justice department officials or the special counsel appointed to investigate alleged Trump campaign ties to Russia. They said this would provoke a constitutional crisis. Meanwhile, FBI agents say they "have not, and will not, allow partisan politics to distract" from their work. In an email to his staff, FBI Director Christopher Wray said: "Talk is cheap; the work you do is what will endure. "I stand by our shared determination to do our work independently and by the book. I stand with you," he said. And former FBI Director James Comey, who was fired by President Trump in May, tweeted that the memo was "dishonest and misleading". Source: BBC Thirty one members of the community make up the National Federation Party's candidates from the National General Elections. This first batch has many of the party's new faces, some notable ones include media personality Lenora Qereqeretabua, former Police Commissioner Romanu Tikotikoca and controversial former Fiji Television news reporter, Shanal Sivan. Party Leader Professor Biman Prasad and Party President Pio Tikoduadua made the announcement earlier today and said the party's candidates were "not ordinary people." “No one in our team is. They have stepped forward, ready, willing and able to serve you. I am proud to present them to you,” Professor Prasad. “In nation-building, it is necessary to be able to come together to talk, deliberate and reconcile our worldviews and then forge a pathway together. We are, after all, only as strong as our weakest link. You will find boldness, strength and united purpose in NFP," Professor Prasad said. “We want to revive our sugar industry and to massively increase our agricultural sector. We also want to hear from the people of Fiji. We want to turn your ideas into action,"” Professor Prasad said. Urging the public to get to know the candidates, the NFP leader reminded the public the candidates have to get through the formal election processes and have provisional statuses until then. The 31 NFP provisional candidates for 2018 election: Pio Tikoduadua Ajay Kumar Anshu Lata Daven Naidu Dhani Ram Feroz Gulam Mohammed Iosefo Nainima Kavai Vunidogo Kini Salabogi Lenora Qereqeretabua Manav Ram Michael Brown Dr Mohammed Yunush Pradeep Chandra Pushp Dass Raj Kumar Rattan Rajan Sami Dr Richard Wah Romanu Tikotikoca Samuela Naicegucegu Sandhya Bajpai Satendra Kumar Satya Shandil Seremaia Tuwai Shanal Sivan Sila Balawa Subrail Narayan Vilitati Seru Veniana Salabogi Waisele Kanavo William Lee. SOURCE: FIJI TIMES/PACNEWS |