This was the scene at the hill near Air Itam after the Penang Hill fires about three weeks ago.
Flashback: Scene after the Penang Hill fires
Final 54 minutes of MH370 cockpit communication revealed
The final 54 minutes of conversation published by the Daily Telegraph does not seem to suggest that anything sinister was happening.
Cat out of the bag: MH370 was carrying lithium-ion batteries
After saying four days ago that MH370 was carrying three to four tonnes of mangosteens, the Malaysia Airlines CEO today finally admitted that the plane was carrying lithium-ion batteries, which may be flammable. But he maintained the goods were packed in line with standard safety rules recommended by the International Civil Aviation Organisation. (Why was this information not disclosed earlier?)
3-4 days lapsed before officials acted on satellite data: WSJ
The Wall Street Journal reports that three to four days lapsed before officials acted on satellite data indicating that MH370 may have crashed or landed in an area farther away from the search-and-rescue operations.
MH370: CNN interviews Anwar Ibrahim
Thanks to blog visitor Wee Chin for the video link.
Crisis of credibility in Malaysian plane search
This is an article I wrote a couple of days ago for Asia Times Online:
It has been a sight that Malaysians are unaccustomed to – senior ministers and officials shifting uncomfortably and bristling in delivering curt responses to journalists trying to extract more information about the still unresolved March 8 disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines jetliner destined for China.
Australian satellite image shows debris in waters off Perth
Could this be a breakthrough? A number of objects have been spotted 2500km south-west of Perth; the largest one is 24m long.
The distance from Perth to Penang is 4461 km or 2772 miles. Flying time from Penang to Perth would be about five and a half hours assuming an average commercial airline speed of 500mph and depending on wind speeds. Then there is the added distance to reach the south-west of Perth. So if this was the plane, it could have been in the area after 8.00am, but it may not have had enough fuel to reach that area.
Update on MH370
Sad, distressing scenes before the press briefing in KL today. A couple of distraught Chinese relatives demanding more information and trying to speak to journalists were carried away by police.
Thai radar at Surat Thani spotted diverted plane flying over Butterworth
After 10 days, the Thai air force has finally revealed that its radar at Surat Thani detected a plane that diverted from its route and flew over Butterworth – although it has not yet been confirmed if the plane was indeed MH370.
Residents of remote Maldives island witnessed low-flying jet: Haveeru
Update (19 March): Press statement by the Maldives National Defence Force:
The Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has been monitoring the Maldives region with special attention since the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on 8th March 2014.
Based on the monitoring up to date, no indication of flight MH370 has been observed on any military radar’s in the country. Furthermore, the data of radars at Maldives airports have also been analyzed and shows no indication of the said flight.
The MNDF will continue to render any assistance required by the Maldives Police Service and international authorities on the search for the missing flight and related issues.
Meanwhile, the Maldives Police said on its website it was looking into the reports of sightings of a plane above Kudahuvadhoo.
Original post (18 March):
The leading news portal in the Maldives, Haveeru Online, reports that residents of the remote island of Kuda Huvadhoo in Dhaal Atoll say they witnessed a “low flying jumbo jet” roar across the area on the morning of 8 March.