AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

KAL ORDERS MORE A380'S: The Airbus superjumbo program received a welcome boost this week, as KOREAN AIR placed exercised options for 2 more A380s. This latest purchase agreement brings the total number of A380s ordered by Korean Air to 10 aircraft. Korean Air plans to operate the aircraft in a 3-class layout on routes linking Seoul to destinations in North America and Europe, including Los Angeles, New York and Paris. The deal helped the A380 program reach the 200 orders mark, from 16 customers. To date, 12 A380s are in regularly scheduled Airline service with EMIRATES, SINGAPORE, and QANTAS.

ARRESTS OVER 2005 CRASH: 6 executives of a Florida-based air charter service face federal criminal charges in connection with the crash of an overloaded jet which couldn't get off the runway at Teterboro, New Jersey in 2005. The PLATINUM JET Challenger 600 was on an Executive Flight from Teterboro to Chicago Midway, with 8 passengers and 3 crew members onboard, on February 2, 2005. The Challenger was cleared for takeoff from runway 06. When takeoff speed was reached, the Pilot tried to lift the plane off the runway but, according to his statement the control wheel was stuck. He then aborted the takeoff, but the plane skidded off the runway. It went through the perimeter fence, crossed a highway and crashed into a building. All 11 passengers and crew onboard the aircraft were injured, as well as 4 people on the ground. In its investigation, the NTSB ruled the plane had a center-of-gravity forward of limits. No one died, but the NTSB came down on the company for a host of violations, and the FAA for inadequate oversight. In announcing the charges, a US Attorney said that Platinum Jet Management of Fort Lauderdale claimed to be a luxury charter service, but didn't hold the required certificate; falsified flight records; and routinely overloaded planes with fuel at Airports where the price was cheaper, a practice known as 'tankering.' "The fuel loading was the primary contributing factor in the crash," the attorney said. "It is astounding -- and criminal -- that owners and operators of jet aircraft would repeatedly engage in such a dangerous game with passengers and airplanes loaded to the brim with jet fuel." 4 of the executives charged are in custody, and authorities are searching for the other 2. The suit also claims the Captain of the flight that crashed at Teterboro reportedly lied about his experience on job applications, and had been fired from a previous job for safety related issues and poor airmanship. Neither Pilot was charged in the Teterboro case.

RYANAIR ADDS ANOTHER CHARGE: RYANAIR has confirmed passengers will be charged £30, if they cannot fit their duty free purchases into their single piece of hand luggage. The Irish carrier, which makes sizeable profits from its add-on fees, said it would make no exceptions to its carry-on bag allowance, which limits passengers to 1 piece of luggage. Observers said the move could be a blow to the dozens of small airports around Europe that rely on retailing profits to subsidise their cut-price deals with Ryanair, which drives a hard bargain with Airports. Ryanair said the charge "ensured fairness to all passengers". The Airline was not the first to enforce check-in fees and extra-baggage charges but it has pursued them vigorously to drive down baggage handling costs. A Ryanair representative said the £30 charge was introduced to stop blatant flouting of hand luggage rules. The airline said that in 1 instance, a passenger attempted to board with 5 pieces of hand luggage.

INCIDENTS

UNI AIRWAYS FLIGHT 652: The Dash 8-300 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Makung to Tainan, Taiwan, when it had to reject takeoff from Makung, yesterday, February 4. Flight 652, with 50 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, rejected takeoff at low speed after the fire alert for the left hand engine illuminated. The crew stopped the aircraft on the runway and initiated an immediate evacuation. No one onboard was injured in the incident. The Dash was towed off the runway and is currently undergoing inspection. Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority have launched an inquiry into the incident

AIR CANADA JAZZ FLIGHT 8320: The CRJ700 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Vancouver to Calgary, when it had to return to Vancouver, on Saturday, January 31. Flight 8320, with 45 passengers and crew onboard, had just taken off Vancouver, when the crew smelled an odor and received a smoke indication for the aft lavatory. Flight attendants told the flight crew, that the smoke detector in the aft lavatory had activated, and that they could smell smoke and see smoke. The crew did not declare an emergency, however they did request immediate return to Vancouver. The CRJ landed without incident, and was met by Emergency Services. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection. Air Canada is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

TRAINING HAS BEGUN THIS WEEK FOR THE 2009 BOBSLED AND SKELETON WORLD CUP IN WHISTLER, CANADA. THIS VENUE IS ONE OF MANY THAT WILL BE USED FOR THE 2010 WINTER OLYMPICS.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

MUSIC/ TOP 20 SINGLES 2-04-09

1. BROKEN STRINGS--JAMES MORRISON w/ NELLY FURTADO
2. ALLEIN ALLEIN--POLARKREIS 18
3. FAME(THE GAME)(remix)--DONNA SUMMER
4. DADDY'S GONE--GLASVEGAS
5. USE SOMEBODY--KINGS OF LEON
6. CRACK THE SHUTTERS--SNOW PATROL
7. ALLA MIA ETA--TIZIANO FERRO
8. NEVER(remix)--KRISTINE W
9. YOU FOUND ME--THE FRAY
10. ULYSSES--FRANZ FERDINAND
11. CI PARLIAMO DA GRANDI--EROS RAMAZZOTTI
12. SPACEMAN--THE KILLERS
13. LOVE LOCKDOWN--KANYE WEST
14. RUN--LEONA LEWIS
15. TIME TO PRETEND--MGMT
16. HALO--BEYONCE
17. WANN--XAVIER NAIDOO w/ CASSANDRA STEEN
18. ABSOLUTELY POSTIVELY--ANTASTACIA
19. THE FEAR--LILY ALLEN
20. FLOWERS & FOOTBALL TOPS--GLASVEGAS

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

CHARTBOUND
* DIVA--BEYONCE
* GET ON YOUR BOOTS--U2
* LONG DISTANCE--BRANDY
* MY LIFE WOULD SUCK WITHOUT YOU--KELLY CLARKSON
* REVELRY--KINGS OF LEON
* SHINING LIGHT--ANNIE LENNOX
* STUCK ON REPEAT--LITTLE BOOTS
* WHAT I CANNOT CHANGE(remix)--LEANN RIMES

MUSIC/ TOP 20 ALBUMS 2-04-09

1. DE NOCHE--ALEJANDRO FERNANDEZ
2. SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE--SOUNDTRACK
3. TONIGHT--FRANZ FERDINAND
4. GLASVEGAS--GLASVEGAS
5. A HUNDRED MILLION SUNS--SNOW PATROL
6. THE CRYING LIGHT--ANTONY & THE JOHNSONS
7. ONLY BY THE NIGHT--KINGS OF LEON
8. THE STEADY RHYTHM--IVRI LIDER
9. WETT SINGEN--SOHNE MANNEHEIMS & XAVIER NAIDOO
10. EVERYTHING IS BORROWED--THE STREETS
11. VOM SELBEM STERN--ICH & ICH
12. E2--EROS RAMAZZOTTI
13. THE FRAY--THE FRAY
14. A MI EDAD--TIZIANO FERRO
15. SPIRIT(DELUXE EDITION)--LEONA LEWIS
16. SONGS FOR YOU, TRUTHS FOR ME--JAMES MORRISON
17. DAY & AGE--THE KILLERS
18. DECADE IN THE SUN/THE BEST OF--STEREOPHONICS
19. HEAVY ROTATION--ANASTACIA
20. GREATEST HITS--ENRIQUE IGLESIAS

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

BOOKS/ TOP 20 BOOKS 2-04-09

1. ANIMALS MAKE US HUMAN--TEMPLE GRANDIN
NonFiction/The autistic author on creating the best life for animals.
2. PRAYERS FOR BOBBY--LEROY AARONS
NonFiction/A mothers christian faith is shattered by her gay son's suicide.
3. THE ASSOCIATE--JOHN GRISHAM
Fiction/A new associate at a law firm has a secret.
4. DEWEY--VICKY MYRON
NonFiction/The small town library cat that touched the world.
5. CONQUISTADORS OF THE SKY--DAN HAGEDORN
NonFiction/The history of aviation in Latin America.
6. SING THEM HOME--STEPHANIE KALLOS
Fiction/A familiy comes full circle after the passing of their father.
7. 2666--ROBERTO BOLANO
Fiction/3 lives intersect in Santa Teresa, a city of hundreds of murders.
8. REVOLUTIONARY ROAD--RICHARD YATES
Fiction/The classic novel of martial bliss and discord.
9. DEAR FATTY--DAWN FRENCH
NonFiction/Autobiography of the iconic British Comedian.
10. JUST AFTER SUNSET--STEPHEN KING
Fiction/A new collection of stories from the master of suspense.
11. EXECUTIVE MEN--MAP
NonFiction/A new portfolio from Men At Play productions.
12. THE HOUR I FIRST BELIEVED--WALLY LAMB
Fiction/A question of faith and the future by a family rocked by tragedy.
13. WESLEY THE OWL--STACEY O'BRIEN
NonFiction/The story of a barn owl and the woman who raised him.
14. PORTOBELLO--RUTH RENDELL
Fiction/Secrets shaken by the impact of chance of conincidence.
15. THE CHARLEMAGNE PURSUIT--STEVE BERRY
Fiction/Cotton Malone in a dangerous quest to Antarctica
16. ALL THE COLOURS OF DARKNESS--PETER ROBINSON
Fiction/Inspector Banks investigates a murder, staged as a suicide.
17. THE PRIVATE PATIENT--P.D. JAMES
Fiction/Adam Dalgliesh and his team investigate a murder at a private clinic.
18. THE GR BOOK OF THE DEAD--MARION WINK
NonFiction/Rememberances of lives lived and lost.
19. A LION AMONG MEN--GREGORY MAGUIRE
Fiction/The continuing series that began with "Wicked".
20. FLOOD--STEPHEN BAXTER
Fiction/Rains and rising ocean waters threaten the world.

NEW ENTRIES IN BOLD BLUE TYPE

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

MUSIC/BIG PROMOTION FOR MORRISSEY: UK singer & songwriter Morrissey releases his new album, "Years of Refusal" on February 16 in Europe. The 1st single, "I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris," will be released next Monday. As part of the promotion for the new single and album, Morrissey and band have posed for the above promo picture. Not bad for a man of 50!

MUSIC/ELTON TO CLOSE VEGAS SHOW: Elton John is playing his final notes on the red piano in Las Vegas. Promoters say the pop singer will close his Las Vegas Strip show, "The Red Piano," on April 22. The show made its debut in February 2004 at the Colosseum theater at Caesars Palace. After initially signing on for 75 shows, John's engagement was extended. The casino says the closing show will be the 241st performance. The offbeat production blends the singer's top hits with elaborate video montages created by photographer and director David LaChappelle. John's show alternates with other Colosseum headline acts, including Bette Midler and Cher. A casino spokesperson said there was no word on a replacement.

TV/GRIM NEWS FOR JADE GOODY: Former UK "Big Brother" star Jade Goody has confirmed the cervical cancer she is being treated for has spread to her bowel, liver and groin. The mother-of-2 was diagnosed with the illness in August and has been receiving chemotherapy ever since. Her spokesman, Max Clifford, said the 27-year-old was "trying to put on a brave face" for her 2 children. She told UK media: "I am devastated, frightened and angry. I don't want to die, I have so much to live for." Goody, who appeared on the Channel 4 series in 2002, and has become a celebrity since then, added: "The reality is I have gone from a 40% chance of a cure to seeing how long I can stay alive. The whole thing is absolutely terrifying, I am hoping a new type of treatment will suppress and control the cancer, which is very aggressive. I am in a nightmare." Clifford said the team of doctors and surgeons who had been treating the star at London's Royal Marsden Hospital were now discussing the best way to treat the 3 tumours. They are now looking at ways to prolong her life so she can spend as much time as possible with her sons. Goody was first told of her cervical cancer in the diary room of the Indian version of "Big Brother" and flew home for emergency treatment.

FILM/"H.M." FILM PLANNED: Columbia Pictures and producer Scott Rudin have acquired rights to make a film based on the life of Henry Molaison, whose brain became the most studied gray matter in medical history. Molaison became known in medical circles as H.M., the man who emerged from an experimental brain operation with a calamitous side effect: The removal of brain tissue in a procedure designed to halt seizures left him unable to form new memories. The Studio has completed a deal for screen rights to a memoir that just sold to Scribner and which will be written by Dr. Suzanne Corkin, the doctor who worked with Molaison for 45 years. The plan is to develop a film about H.M. as seen through the eyes of Corkin, a professor of behavioral neuroscience in the Dept. of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at MIT. Columbia and Rudin also acquired rights to Philip Hilts' "Memory's Ghost: The Nature of Memory and the Strange Tale of Mr. M," a 1996 book written about H.M. H.M. came to the forefront after the New York Times ran a prominent obit in early December when Molaison passed away at 82 of respiratory failure. H.M. suffered a head injury in a fall at age 9, but it was unclear why he developed progressively more violent seizures, with blackouts and convulsions so serious that he was forced to give up his work fixing motors. Lobotomies were considered radical fixes for seizures when H.M. received the surgery in 1953. After the procedure, he could remember only things that occurred in his life and the world before the operation. Scientists used his misfortune to study the brain and memory, with H.M. serving as a willing patient for decades.

FILM/GARLAND "HAPPY" PIC PLANNED: The Weinstein Co. has optioned the feature rights to Gerald Clarke's "Get Happy: the Life of Judy Garland." Clarke's biography of Truman Capote served as the basis for Dan Futterman's Oscar-nominated "Capote" script. "Get Happy," published in 2000, details how the actress and singer was plagued by personal problems and mistreated by employers, family and lovers. Garland died in 1969 at the age of 47.

FILM/PACINO TO PLAY LEAR: Al Pacino will play the title role in "King Lear," an adaptation of the Shakespeare play that will be directed by Michael Radford. Radford, who wrote the script, is making his 2nd Shakespearean foray with Pacino after their 2004 collaboration "Merchant of Venice," which cast Pacino as Shylock. Pic will be produced by Barry Navidi, who teamed with Pacino on "Merchant" as well as the upcoming "Salomaybe?," which Pacino directed and stars in. That film, based on the Oscar Wilde play, is in post-production. While Pacino has played many Shakespearean characters, he has never played King Lear, the aging monarch who selects his successor by parsing his kingdom in 3 parts, ruled by his trio of daughters. 2 of them are scheming connivers who flatter their father, while the 1 loving daughter, Cordelia, refuses to play that game and is exiled. The king ultimately loses everything. "King Lear" has been filmed several times with Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles and Paul Scofield among those in the title role. Radford will shoot the picture entirely in Europe, starting later this year.

THEATRE/2009 OLIVIER NOMS OUT: The Donmar Warehouse and producer Sonia Friedman lead the pack for the Society of London Theater’s 33rd annual Laurence Olivier Awards, with each scoring a total of 13 nominations for four of their respective productions. The Donmar bounty was earned by "The Chalk Garden," "Piaf," "Ivanov" and "Twelfth Night," while Friedman drew her matching haul for "No Man’s Land," "That Face," "Maria Friedman Re-Arranged" and "La Cage aux Folles," all of which she produced and/or transferred to the West End. "La Cage" received the highest number of noms for an individual production with 7, including musical revival. 1sst staged at the Menier Chocolate Factory and since transferred to the West End’s Playhouse, the drag musical also drew bids for lead actors Douglas Hodge and Denis Lawson, supporting actor Jason Pennycooke and director Terry Johnson, as well as for costumes and choreography. "Piaf," which transferred from the Donmar to the West End’s Vaudeville, secured 5 nominations: musical revival, actress in a musical, Elena Roger, supporting performance, Katherine Kingsley, lighting and sound. Donmar a.d. Michael Grandage’s production of "The Chalk Garden" followed with 4 mentions, landing dueling actress noms for leads Penelope Wilton and Margaret Tyzack, as well as noms for play revival and lighting. Grandage also staged the West End productions of "Twelfth Night" and "Ivanov." "Twelfth Night" was recognized for Derek Jacobi’s lead performance and costumes, "Ivanov" for supporting actor, Kevin R. McNally and lighting. Competing against Jacobi for lead actor are Michael Gambon and co-star David Bradley, who go head-to-head for their performances in Harold Pinter’s "No Man’s Land," and Adam Godley for the Dustin Hoffman role in "Rain Man." The London transfer of New York hit "Jersey Boys" nabbed 5 noms, new musical, actor Ryan Molloy, director Des McAnuff, choreography and sound. Another 5 went to "Zorro," for new musical, actress, Emma Williams, actor, Matt Rawle, supporting performance, Lesli Margherita and choreography. Touching down in London after its successful world tour, the National Theater of Scotland’s "Black Watch" also took 5, for director John Tiffany as well as for new play, company performance, choreography and sound. Tracy Letts’ Tony and Pulitzer Prize winner "August: Osage County" continues to be an awards magnet with 4 noms for its National Theater run — new play, actress, Deanna Dunagan, company performance and set. Also at the National, Lee Hall’s "The Pitmen Painters" is up for play honors, while "To Be Straight With You," by dance/theater company DV8, was nommed for new dance production. Kneehigh Theater’s reworking of "Brief Encounter" scored 4 bids, as did Matthew Warchus’ Broadway-bound revival of Alan Ayckbourn’s tragicomic trilogy "The Norman Conquests" and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s "The Histories." The Oliviers ceremony will take place on March 8 at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. A full list of all noms can be found on the Olivier website.

US NEWS/ PROP 8 TO COURT IN MARCH

Legal challenges to a ballot measure that denied gays the right to marry in California will begin oral arguments on March 5th, the state Supreme Court has announced. Proposition 8 passed with 52% of the vote on election day, November 4th. Since then gay marriages have been banned in the state. In May 2008, the California Supreme Court ruled against a previous Proposition approved in 2000 that defined marriage in the state as between a man and a woman. The court ruled that laws that treat people differently based on their sexual orientation violate the equal protection clause of the California Constitution and that same-sex couples have the same fundamental right to marry as other Californians. Proposition 8 challenged this ruling by explicitly denying gay people the right to marry. 18,000 same-sex couples got married before Prop 8 passed. On November 19, 2008, the California Supreme Court granted review in the legal challenges to Proposition 8, and established an expedited briefing schedule. Dozens of amicus curiae or "friend of the court" briefs have been filed arguing that Proposition 8 drastically alters the equal protection guarantee in California’s Constitution, and that the rights of a minority cannot be eliminated by a simple majority vote. They call on the California Supreme Court to strike down Proposition 8. Leading African American, Latino, and Asian American civil rights groups have filed a brief arguing that Proposition 8 prevents the courts from exercising their essential constitutional role of enforcing the equal protection rights of minorities.

US NEWS/ FIRE DAMAGES CHICAGO LANDMARK

Fire early today caused extensive damage to the roof and attic of the Holy Name Cathedral, fire and church officials said, but the sanctuary of the beloved 134-year-old city landmark and seat of Chicago's archdiocese was spared. Cardinal Francis George, who said the cathedral's roof would probably have to be rebuilt, said a firefighter strained his back, but there were no other reports of injuries. The fire started about 5:30am, and raged for 2½ hours until firefighters extinguished it. There was extensive water damage, authorities said. George noted that water poured from the roof onto light and electrical fixtures, and there were icicles on the pews. Fire Department spokesman Larry Langford said the sanctuary floor in front of the altar area was flooded with several inches of water, but the altar area was not damaged. About a dozen fire trucks responded to the church at State and Superior streets, near Northwestern University. The fire started in an attic area where major repairs were being made. A laborer was present at the time the fire broke out, but he didn't know whether he was working in the area where the fire started. The cathedral had been closed for 6 months to undergo major structural repairs and had reopened at the end of August, church officials noted. The current work was being done on support beams. The Gothic structure was built after the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 destroyed the former church. Brooklyn, New York, architect Patrick Charles Keely designed the building, and the cornerstone was laid July 19,

AVIATION/ BIRDS FOUND IN FL1549 ENGINES

Federal safety officials confirmed this afternoon that there were birds in both engines of the US AIRWAYS airliner that ditched into the Hudson River last month. The NTSB says remains from both engines have also been sent to the Smithsonian Institution in Washington to have the particular bird species identified. The safety board also says that an engine surge experienced by the A320 on January 13, 2 days before the accident, was due to faulty temperature sensor. The sensor was replaced, and the engine was examined and found to be undamaged before being returned to service. Flight 1549's pilot reported that both engines had failed after the airliner collided with birds moments after taking off from LaGuardia Airport. All 155 people onboard survived. The investigation continues.

AVIATION/ PAX REVOLT OVER AEROFLOT PILOT

What started out as the misgivings of a handful of passengers mushroomed into a major situation onboard an AEROFLOT Boeing 767 before a December flight from Moscow to New York. Citing Russian news reports, media reported today that several passengers complained to Flight Attendants after being greeted as they came onboard by Alexander Cheplevsky, 1 of the 4 Pilots scheduled for the 11-hour trip on December 28. Those passengers feared the Pilot's slurred speech and garbled responses indicated that he was drunk. Flight Attendants reportedly tried to downplay those fears, reportedly telling passengers at one point to stop "making trouble," and assuring them that even if Cheplevsky were intoxicated, the jet basically flew itself. Discord quickly spread throughout the cabin, and Cheplevsky initially resisted efforts to have him leave the cockpit and speak with passengers. When he did emerge, his alleged bloodshot eyes and difficulty in standing up sent passengers over the edge. "I don't think there's anyone in Russia who doesn't know what a drunk person looks like," passenger Katya Kushner told the Moscow Times. "At first, he was looking at us like we were crazy. Then, when we wouldn't back down, he said 'I'll sit here quietly in a corner. We have 3 more Pilots. I won't even touch the controls, I promise'." When Aeroflot officials learned that well-known Russian television personality Ksenia Sobchak was onboard the flight, and, that she was demanding that all 4 Pilots be replaced, they came onboard to try to calm the situation, to no avail. After 3 hour delay, Aeroflot Flight 315 finally left Moscow, with a new flight crew onboard. "It took (Cheplevsky) 3 attempts to say the words 'duration of flight,'" Sobchak recounted after the flight. "Even after Aeroflot personnel asked him to do so, he barely made it out of the cabin." Aeroflot maintains tests showed Cheplevsky was not intoxicated. An Airline spokeswoman blamed the affair on "mass psychosis" among passengers, and hinted Cheplevsky may have suffered a stroke before heading to the Airport. According to media, Cheplevsky admitted he had been out celebrating his 54th birthday the night before the incident occurred, but swears he didn't drink. The incident is reportedly still under investigation by Aeroflot and Russian Aviation Authorities.

AVIATION/ PAX DETAILS AUSTRIAN 2755 INCIDENT

Passengers onboard an AUSTRIAN AIRLINES Fokker 100 involved in an incident on January 31, have spoked to local media about their experience. As previously reported, Austrian Flight 2755 was on Scheduled International Service from Salzburg, Austria, to Cork, Ireland, with 98 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, last Saturday. The crew declared an emergency while enroute at 32000 feet, just N of Dunkirk, France, due to a slow loss of cabin pressure. The crew completed an emergency descent to 8000 feet over the English Channel. The Fokker was diverted to London Gatwick where it landed without incident. At the time of the incident, Austrian reported that the Fokker suffered a slow loss of cabin pressure, and the Captain released the passenger oxygen masks manually while initiating the descent. The Airline also indicated that the aircraft landed at Gatwick as a precaution. According to a passenger onboard Flight 2755, the 1st indication of a problem was when the aircraft pitched down significantly to what appeared a 20 degrees nose down attitude. This was about 1 hour before their scheduled arrival in Cork. The oxygen masks then deployed and the cabin crew made an announcement to put the masks on. Also according to the passenger, the flight crew made no announcement about their descent or their diversion to Gatwick. Passengers were reportedly only told about the diversion by Cabin Crew. Austrian has not commented on the passenger report. The incident is currently under investigation.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

PILOTS TAKE FAA TO TASK: In light of the recent downing of the US AIRWAYS airliner in the Hudson River, the Air Line Pilots Association is taking the FAA to task for dragging its heels on developing avian radar and other measures to mitigate the risks to aircraft posed by birds. It's been 10 years since the NTSB recommended the FAA develop a radar system to allow Pilots to avoid birds. The FAA responds that technology is years away from being able to provide reliable altitude information, which is needed along with bearing and distance to properly warn Pilots. Rory Kay, a Boeing 767 Captain, is safety chairman of the Air Line Pilots Association. He said, "That is not a satisfactory timeframe. 1000 feet and 5 miles from the Airport, they're not an issue... But if they're at 1000 feet and 3 miles from the Airport, they're right on the flight path if I'm making an approach." An FAA spokeswoman said the effort can't be rushed. "...When you operate in a commercial environment you have to have a very high level of reliability," she said. "In many cases these systems take time to tune to the reliability we need." In the last 10 years, the FAA has worked to implement avian radar test systems at 3 major Airports: Seattle-Tacoma, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Chicago O'Hare.
INCIDENTS
UNITED AIRLINES FLIGHT 77: The Boeing 757 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Denver, Colorado, to San Francisco, California, when it had to make an emergeny return to Denver, yesterday, February 3. Flight 77, with 145 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, ingested a bird into its right engine on takeoff from Denver. The 757 landed back at Denver without incident. Inspection revealed damage to the engine cowling, thus the aircraft has been removed from service for further inspection and repairs. According to local media, a passenger on the flight said "there was definitely panic but there wasn't hysteria" after the bird strike. "We heard a large thump like we hit something, and the pitch of the engine changed dramatically to the point that it got real quiet, and there was a rattling, wheezing noise," he said. UAL is investigating the incident.
HAINAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 7379: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Taiyuan to Guangzhou, China, when it declared an emergency while on approach to Guangzhou, yesterday, February 3. Flight 7379, with 131 passengers and crew onboard, declared the emergency after a fire alert went off. The aircraft landed without incident. The 737 was removed from service and inspection revealed dust and debris in the cargo bay set off the false alert. The aircraft is currently being service and will resume service. Hainan is investigating the incident.
AIR CREEBEC FLIGHT 921: The Dash 8-100 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Montreal to Val D'Or, Canada, when it had to make an emergency return to Montreal, on Monday, February 2. Flight 921 reported hydraulics problems and requested to return to Montreal about 2 minutes after departure. About 14 minutes later, the crew then declared an emergency. The aircraft landed without incident back at Montreal, about 10 minutes after declaring the emergency. The Dash has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. Air Creebec is investigating the incident.
AIR TRANSAT FLIGHT 388: The A310 was on Scheduled International Service from Montreal, Canada, to San Salvador, El Salvador, when it had to make an emergency return to Montreal, on Monday, February 2. Flight 388 was on climb out of Montreal when the crew declared PAN PAN PAN and requested immediate return to Montreal due to a failure of the autopilot system. The A310 landed back at Montreal about 77 minutes after departure without incident. The aircraft has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. Air Transat is investigating the incident.
ALASKA AIRLINES FLIGHT 67: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Ketchikan to Sitka, Alaska, when the aircraft was struck by lightning while on approach to Sitka, on Sunday, February 1. The 737 landed without incident. Inspection revealed minor damage to the nose cone, and the aircraft has been removed from service for inspection. Alaska is investigating the incident.
US AIRWAYS FLIGHT 700: The A330 was on Scheduled International Service from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to Frankfurt, Germany, when it had to make an emergency to Philadelphia, on Friday, January 30. Flight 700 was enroute at 35000 feet near St Johns, NL, when the crew reported the failure of their Traffic and Collision Avoidance System (TCAS). The crew then requested return to Philadelphia. The aircraft descended to 34000 feet, and was guided back to Philadelphia, where it landed about 5 hours after its initial departure. The aircraft has since been repaired and returned to service. US Airways is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

A CARDINAL CAPTURED IN A SNOW COVERED TREE THIS PAST WEEKEND IN CLARKSVILLE, INDIANA.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

SPORT/NO ENDORSEMENTS FOR MITCHAM: On the same day the world learned that the US swimming star Michael Phelps had jeopardised his multimillion-dollar sponsorship earnings after being photographed sucking on a bong, Australia's Matthew Mitcham, pictured left, revealed he was yet to land a big sponsor, 6 months after winning Beijing gold. And while Ian Thorpe was last week forced to deny constant rumours about his sexuality and the claims that sponsorship dollars have kept him in the closet, Mitcham has been completely open about being gay and will lead this year's Mardi Gras, yet remains sponsorless. Even his fellow Beijing star Stephanie Rice has managed to shovel millions into her bank account despite headlines covering everything from her ill-fated romances to her hedonistic lifestyle. The influential US gay magazine The Advocate has Mitcham on its cover next month, with the tagline reading: "What's a guy to do when he's got the gold, the fame, and the man, but no big-time endorsements?"Yesterday it was Kerri-Anne Kennerley who led the charge for Mitcham during an interview on her morning show. "It is tough," Mitcham told her. "A lot of people are having a lot of trouble, myself included . . . like I haven't signed anything yet but we are working on things and there are some things in the works and there are some things that are close." Kennerley responded: "I am a little shocked that you have not been snapped up as quickly as I believe you should have been because we should celebrate who and what you are - No. 1, the best, perfect."
FILM/BALE GOES BALLISTIC: Batman, Christian Bale, can be heard in newly surfaced audio delivering a long, profanity-laced verbal thrashing to a cinematographer and anyone who tried to calm him down on the set of the upcoming "Terminator Salvation." The 3-minute clip was posted Monday on the Web. In it, the actor who portrayed Batman in "The Dark Knight" rails against cinematographer Shane Hurlbut for apparently walking behind co-star Bryce Dallas Howard and through Bale's line of sight, considered a film-set foul. "If you do it one more time I ain't walking on this set if you're still hired!" Bale howls in one of the few publishable moments from the clip. Later, he screams: "Do you want me to go and trash your lights? Do you want me to go and trash them? ... Then why are you trashing my scene?" The incident took place last July on the set at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, days before Bale would face assault allegations from his mother and sister in London. Charges were never filed because his family did not want to press the matter and because prosecutors said there was a lack of sufficient evidence. Bale's is the only voice that is audible on the tape, though he's clearly responding to Hurlbut, the film's director McG, and others trying to persuade him to relax. "Let's not take a (expletive) minute! Let's go again!" he yells at one point. Bale has not responded to the audio posting.
FILM/CARPENTER RETURNS: Horror Director John Carpenter is back, signing on to direct ghost story "The Ward" for Echo Lake. Amber Heard ("Pineapple Express") will star as a haunted woman in a mental institution. Carpenter hasn't directed a feature since "Ghosts of Mars" in 2001. No start date has been set for the film.
FILM/BILL MURRAY GETS "LOW": Bill Murray and Lucas Black have joined the cast of the period dramatic thriller "Get Low" for Zanuck. Robert Duvall and Sissy Spacek star in the Aaron Schneider-directed pic, which is based on the true story of Felix "Bush" Breazeale, a Tennessee recluse who planned his own funeral in 1938 while he was still alive and could enjoy it. Murray and Black play partners at the funeral home. "Get Low," starts shooting this week in Georgia.
THEATRE/UK'S "NORMAN" TO TRANSFER: The hit London staging of Alan Ayckbourn's trilogy "The Norman Conquests" has confirmed a Broadway transfer this spring with a run that opens in April at Circle in the Square. Production originated in the fall at the Old Vic Theater. Director Matthew Warchus ("Boeing-Boeing") reprises his directing duties on "Norman," with the entire Brit cast, Amelia Bullmore, Jessica Hynes, Stephen Mangan, Ben Miles, Paul Ritter and Amanda Root, coming over with the show. The engagement marks the first Broadway revival for the plays, which originally appeared on Broadway in 1975. Ayckbourn's 1973 trilogy consists of 3 interlocking, full-length works about a librarian, his wife, his in-laws and a vet. Each play takes place in a different part of a country house during the same weekend. The 3 shows: "Table Manners," set in the dining room; "Living Together," taking place in the living room; and garden-set "Round and Round the Garden," will play in repertory, with audiences able to see them as a trilogy or individually. The 16-week Broadway run will include marathons of all 3 shows every Saturday. "Norman" wrapped up its run at the Old Vic on December 20. Show kicks off previews at Circle in the Square on April 7 ahead of an April 23 opening.
TV/CLINT RICHIE DIES AT 70: Soap opera veteran Clint Ritchie, who for 2 decades starred as a plain-spoken ranch owner on 'One Life to Live,' died on Saturday just hours after getting a pacemaker implanted. He was 70. Ritchie played Clint Buchanan on the long-running ABC soap. He joined the cast in 1979 and last made an appearance in 2004. The role was recast when he left the show.

AVIATION/ PAX SENTENCED TO 30 LASHES

A Sudanese man has been sentenced to 30 lashes for smoking on a domestic SAUDI ARABIAN AIRLINES flight, Saudi media reported yesterday. The unnamed man had refused to put out his cigarette on the flight to the Red Sea port city of Jeddah from Qurayyat in northern Saudi Arabia, according to the report. He was arrested by police when the aircraft landed in Jeddah and sentenced to 30 lashes by a local court on Sunday. The man apologised and said he was attending clinic to help him stop smoking, according to the report. It is not known when the incident took place. Saudi Arabian offered no comment on the report.

AVIATION/ BOEING UPDATES ON DELTA 18

The Air Safety Investigation department of Boeing has released an interim report into an incident involving a DELTA AIRLINES Boeing 777 on November 26, 2008. Delta Flight 18 was on Scheduled International Service from Shanghai, China, to Atlanta, Georgia, when the incident took place. The 777 was enroute at 39000 feet, just N of Denver, Colorado, when the right hand engine experienced an uncommanded roll down. The crew descended the airplane to 31000 feet and performed checklists, after which the engine recovered and responded normally. The flight continued to Atlanta without further incident. No one onboard was injured in the incident. The NTSB, Boeing, and the Airline, all opened investigations into the incident. The incident was noted to be similar to the BRITISH AIRWAYS Boeing 777 crash landing at London Heathrow in January 2008. Both engines on that 777 rolled down while on short final at about 700 feet. Both aircraft in question were powered by Trent engines. Other uncommanded roll downs occured on another British Airways Boeing 777 in June 2008, and on an AIR CANADA Boeing 767 in November 2008. Another unexpected roll down of an engine onboard an AMERICAN AIRLINES Boeing 777-200 in February 2008 was identified to be "commanded", when the First Officer blocked the movement of the left throttle while operating the speedbrake. In its update, Boeing that based on the data recovered from the Delta flight data recorder and the characteristics of the rollback, Boeing believes that water ice accumulation in the Fuel Oil Heat Exchanger is the cause of the uncommanded engine roll down of N862DA, pictured above, on November 26. Boeing, which is also participating in the BA January 2008 crash landing, stressed in this report that the investigations are still ongoing and new information may surface.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

BRANSON OFFERS "SULLY" A JOB: Sir Richard Branson has found a way to capitalize on the recent hoopla surrounding last month's ditching of US AIRWAYS Flight 1549 in New York's Hudson River. Branson has made a very public offer to have Captain Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger fly for VIRGIN ATLANTIC, Branson's flagship Airline. "I'd like him to come fly for us," Branson said. "We'll make him the best-paid Pilot at Virgin, we'll give him double anybody else. He also can become one of the astronauts in my intergalactic spaceship company. The man can write his own ticket with me." Branson spoke in apparent awe of Sullenberger's skill in guiding his stricken Airbus A320 to a textbook water landing that saved all 155 people onboard. "Every single thing he could have done right, he did right, from the second he made that decision not to go to that local Airport, to put the plane down in the water, to the way he looked after everybody." Sullenberger, pictured at upper left, has largely avoided the media spotlight cast upon him, and his flight crew. Besides granting CBS News an exclusive interview (coming later this week), "Sully" has made only a handful of public appearances. On Sunday, he and his flight crew received a thunderous ovation during the pregame festivities at the Super Bowl in Tampa. When told of Branson's offer, Sullenberger reported said, "That's amazing... I hadn't heard that. I will be happy to entertain all the things that are coming my way."
AUSTRALIA'S MACAIR IN TROUBLE: Troubled Australian carrier MACAIR is flying again and could be offered for sale as early as next week. The Townsville-based Airline went into voluntary administration last week and is now in the hands of receivers. "2 planes are back in the air as of today that are mainly doing commercial routes to the mines," a spokesman said. "We are working on getting the balance of the fleet back in the air over the next few days. An Aussie politician said that he would be glad to see the end of MacAir, which had monopolised the industry in remote Queensland for years. "As far as I'm concerned MacAir is no loss," Independent MP Bob Katter said. "The price they were charging people was outrageous. As far as I'm concerned it's good riddance."
SAS MAKES HUGE CUTS: Scandinavian airline SAS is to axe 3000 jobs, in a major restructuring following big losses in 2008. Another 5600 employees will leave as part of operations that are to be sold or outsourced, as overall staff numbers are cut by 40% from 23000 to 14000. It comes as it reported net losses of 6.32bn kronor ($757m) in 2008, 2.77bn in the 4th quarter alone, after a profit of 636m kronor in 2007. The Stockholm-based carrier is to also sell AIR BALTIC, and shed other stakes. The biggest divestment will come as the Airline sells its money-losing Spanish subsidiary SPANAIR unit to a Spanish consortium for 1 euro, which will see 3000 employees leaving SAS's operations. It hopes to sell its interests in SPIRIT, AIR GREENLAND, BMI, ESTONIAN AIRWAYS, SKYWAYS, CUBIC and TRUST as it concentrates on business travel in the Nordic market.
INCIDENTS
EMIRATES AIRLINES FLIGHT 128: The Boeing 777 was on Scheduled International Service from Vienna, Austria, to Dubai, UAE, when it had to make an emergency return to Vienna, yesterday, February 2. Flight 128 declared an emergency due to unspecified technical problems. The aircraft landed safely back at Vienna, and taxied back to a secured remote stand, followed by multiple emergency vehicles. Passengers were offloaded shortly thereafter. No further comments were issed by the Airline or Airport.
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 711: The Boeing 757 was on Scheduled International Service from Rome, Italy, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, when it had to make an emergency return to Rome, yesterday, February 2. Flight 711, with 147 passengers and 9 crew members onboard, reported unspecified engine trouble shortly after takeoff. The 757 landed back at Rome without incident, and has been removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. Ethiopian is investigating the incident.
CANADIAN NORTH FLIGHT 444: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Edmonton to Yellowknife, Canada, when it had to make an emergency return to Edmonton, on Thursday January 29. Flight 444, with 42 passengers and crew onboard, reported smoke in the cockpit. The 737 landed back at Edmonton without incident or injury. Upon inspection, maintenance determined that the source of the smoke was a wiring fault to the cockpit Captain's window heating system. The 737 had undergone heavy maintenance by a 3rd party, several days prior to the incident. The Captain's window had been removed and a pane been replaced. Early reports suggest that during reinstallation of the window, the wiring was not routed correctly. Canadian North is continuing its investigation into the incident.
AIR TAHITI NUI FLIGHT 102: The A340 was on Scheduled International Service from Papeete, French Polynesia, to Los Angeles, California, when it had to make an emergency return to Papeete, on Sunday, January 25. Flight 102 declared an emergency about 90 minutes into its flight due to a suspected bird strike on takeoff from Papeete. The A340 landed back at Papeete without incident about 3 hours after its intial departure. Post flight inspection revealed damage to the leading edge of the left wing. According to media reports, a passenger onboard Flight 102 said that there was heavy turbulence during takeoff from Papeete. Following the turbulence a continuous whistling sound was heard thru-out the passenger cabin. About 90 minutes into the flight, the flight crew made an announcement that they had experienced a bird strike and would be returning to Papeete. While turning back the aircraft appeared to drop twice in quick succession, with food and other items flying thru the passenger cabin. Turbulence continued thru-out the majority of the return leg to Papeete. Air Tahiti Nui is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

THE HEAVIEST SNOW IN OVER 18 YEARS HAS BLANKETED BRITAIN, WITH THE SE REGION BEING HARDEST HIT. LONDON CAME TO A STANDSTILL TODAY AFTER RECEIVING OVER A FOOT OF SNOW. THE ICONIC LONDON BUSES WERE PULLED OFF THE ROADS, AS WELL AS MOST FLIGHTS BEING CANCELED AT THE CITIES 4 AIRPORTS.

LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#21)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM/2009 ANNIE AWARDS: "Kung Fu Panda" has beaten "Wall-E" to emerge as the main winner at the 36th Annie Awards, which recognise achievement in animation. The Jack Black vehicle took home best animation and 14 other awards including best direction and character design. Dustin Hoffman, who played curmudgeonly martial arts guru Shifu in the film, was named best voice actor. Britain's Wallace and Gromit won best short animation for their latest adventure, "A Matter of Loaf and Death". The series' creator, Nick Park, also won a lifetime achievement award at the Los Angeles event, along with "Beavis and Butthead" creator Mike Judge and Disney/Pixar's John Lasseter. In the Annie's TV categories, cult animation Robot Chicken won 3 prizes for its "Star Wars" parody "Episode II - Shadow Machine". Full details on the Annie Awards can be found on their website.
FILM/BIG BACKERS FOR "PUSH:SAPPHIRE": Lionsgate has purchased North American distribution rights to "Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire." Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry will support Lionsgate's distribution through their respective motion picture companies, Harpo Films and 34th Street Films. "Push" won the Grand Jury Prize and the Audience Award at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival.
FILM/SCORSESE EYES "SILENCE": Martin Scorsese is said to be determined to make "Silence" his next movie. The director and Graham King's GK Films are negotiating with Oscar winners Daniel Day-Lewis and Benicio Del Toro to star. Gael Garcia Bernal is also said to be circling the film, expected to begin production later this year in New Zealand. The drama is set in the 17th century as 2 Jesuit priests face violence and persecution when they travel to Japan to locate their mentor and to spread the gospel of Christianity. "Silence" is based on the Shusaku Endo novel, which was adapted by Jay Cocks. Scorsese has had the project on his radar for more than a decade. Scorsese most recently completed an adaptation of the Dennis Lehane novel "Shutter Island" for Paramount with Leonardo DiCaprio starring.

US NEWS/ GAY RIGHTS ADVANCE IN WASH. STATE

Legislators in the state of Washington have given proposals to extend all the rights of married couples to same-sex partners. The state already has some protection for registered gay and lesbian couples through domestic partnerships and the new bill would establish equal protections without legalising same-sex marriage. It is sponsored by Democratic state House member Jamie Pedersen, one of six out gay people in the legislature. His party controls both the Senate and the House. The proposed legislation has the support of the state Governor. "The purpose of this legislation is to provide a way for us to talk about how our families are harmed concretely by their exclusion from civil marriage," Mr Pedersen said. "We hope that sooner, rather than later, we'll be here talking about a marriage bill." At present same-sex marriage is legal in Massachusetts and Connecticut, while civil unions that carry all the state rights of marriage are legal in New Jersey, Vermont and New Hampshire. Federal marriage rights were denied to same-sex couples by the 1996 Defence of Marriage Act (DOMA). DOMA also prevents the federal government from gay and lesbian relationships as marriage "for any purpose," even if the marriage is recognised by one of the states. President Barack Obama is committed to the repeal of DOMA, but does not support gay marriage.

WORLD NEWS/ POPE CONTINUES HATE CAMPAIGN

A priest who thinks Hurricane Katrina was "divine retribution" on New Orleans for being tolerant towards gay and lesbian people has been made a bishop. Fr Gerhard Wagner, who has also branded the "Harry Potter" books as the work of Satan, has been made auxiliary bishop of Linz, Austria by Pope Benedict XVI. His interpretation of Hurricane Katrina, which devestated the city of New Orleans in 2005, as a punishment from God for homosexuality was shared by several colourful homophobes. Rev Fred Phelps of Wesboro Baptist Church, best-known for picketing funerals with signs reading "God Hates Fags," also blamed Katrina on gays. Maurice Mills, a Democratic Unionist councillor in Ballymena, claimed in April 2006: "The media failed to report that the hurricane occurred just 2 days prior to the annual homosexual event called the Southern Decadence Festival, which the previous year had attracted an estimated 125,000 people. "Surely, this is a warning to nations where such wickedness is increasingly promoted and practiced. This abominable and filthy practice and sodomy has resulted in the great continent of Africa being riddled with AIDS, all at great cost to the nations and innocent children." In December the Pope claimed that the existence of gay people is as great a threat to humanity as the destruction of the rainforest. Benedict XVI also attacked transgender people and claimed that a "blurring" of genders would lead to the extinction of the human race. The pontiff made his remarks in an "end of year" address to the Vatican's central administration, the Curia. The Pope said behaviour beyond traditional heterosexual relations is "a destruction of God's work." Benedict also said man must be protected "from the destruction of himself" and urged respect for the "nature of the human being as man and woman." "The tropical forests do deserve our protection. But man, as a creature, does not deserve any less."

WORLD NEWS/ RELGIONS WANT ETHIOPIA GAY BAN

The leaders of the Roman Catholic, Ethiopian Orthodox and Protestant churches have called on the government of Ethiopia for a constitutional ban on homosexuality. At present the constitution makes no mention of homosexuality. Male homosexual behaviour is illegal and carries a penalty of up to 5 years imprisonment. Although there is no provision under Ethiopian law for lesbianism there is the presumption that the punishment would be the same. "For people to act in this manner they have to be dumb, stupid like animals," an Orthodox leader told journalists after the meeting. "We strongly condemn this behaviour, they have to be disciplined and their acts discriminated, they have to be taught a lesson." Christians make up around 63% of the country's population with of them 43% Ethiopian Orthodox. Muslims make up almost 34%. According Sonic Casuist of ETHIOGLBTI, a gay rights group in Ethiopia, homosexuality is still perceived as taboo and nonexistent in that country and many homosexuals are still in the closet. "It is hidden, no one is out. The general population would like to claim that it does not exist," she said.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

COMPETITION HEATS UP ON AUS ROUTE: The debut of 2 more carriers on the Australia to Los Angeles route, means cheaper fares for travelers. During this past winter as the price dominator, QANTAS held peak holiday fares to Los Angeles as high as A$3300 return. Its only competitor, UNITED AIRLINES, has struggled to maintain its flights to Australia. And now, here come the 2 new carriers. VIRGIN BLUE's new long-haul carrier, V AUSTRALIA, starts services between Sydney and Los Angeles next month. In the lead-up, it has pitched its best fares as low as A$1200 return. They have settled at A$1400-A$1600 return for travel in the next few months, compared with A$1800-A$2500 last year on Qantas and United, which is following suit. More competition will arrive in July when the world's biggest airline, DELTA AIRLINES, after taking over NORTHWEST AIRLINES, starts flying from LA to Sydney daily. Overall the number of seats on the market will increase by about 30 per cent, which means, in simple terms, the Airlines will have to drop their ticket prices by 30 per cent if they hope to fill their aircraft. Qantas, however, is hoping to command a premium on its fares to LA as it replaces Boeing 747 jumbos with the "sex appeal" of its new Airbus A380 super-jumbos. Qantas claims the A380 gives passengers more space in all classes. All 4 competitors have indicated they will try to raise fares in the US summer, starting in June. However, if all those extra seats aren't filling, discounts will be rolled out, and the price will fall.
INCIDENTS
CYPRUS AIRWAYS 332: The A330 was on Scheduled International Service from Larnaca, Cyprus, to London Heathrow, when it went off the runway after landing at Heathrow, early this morning. Flight 332 had landed at Heathrow and already turned off the runway onto the taxiways, when the nose gear skidded off the taxiway and got stuck in a grassy area. No one onboard was injured and the aircraft appeared to suffer no damage. The aircraft was towed from the area to a hanger for inspection. Heavy snow was falling at the time of the incident, and Heathrow, along with many other UK Airports, has canceled part, or all, of their flights scheduled for today.
GOL AIRLINES FLIGHT 1659: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Teresina to Brasilia, Brazil, when it had to make an emergency return to Teresina, yesterday, February 1. Flight 1659, with 181 passengers and crew onboard, is believed to have suffered a bird strike to its left engine while taking off. The Captain kept the engine running, while the aircraft circled Teresina to burn off fuel. The 737 landed back at Teresina without incident, about 50 minutes after its initial departure. No one onboard was injured. Passengers told local media that the aircraft suffered vibrations after the bird strike, which continued until the aircraft landed. The 737 has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. GOL is investigating the incident.
INDIGO AIRLINES FLIGHT 334: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Goa to Delhi, India, when it declared an emergency while on approach to Delhi, due to an unruly passenger, yesterday, February 1. Flight 334 landed without incident at Delhi, and was moved to a remote isolation bay. The A320 then was surrounded by security forces, who entered the aircraft and arrested the passenger. The remaining passengers and crew were allowed to disembark, about 2 hours after Flight 334's arrival. According to local media, an intoxicated passenger, with a knife, demanded more alcohol, which Flight Attendants refused. A fight then ensued, during which time the passenger threatened to hijack the aircraft, which is when the crew declared an emergency and notified authorities. The passenger was subdued by flight crew and other passengers prior to landing at Delhi. Both IndiGo and Indian Aviation Officials will investigate the incident.
AIR CANADA FLIGHT 1: The Boeing 777 was on Scheduled International Service from Vancouver, Canada, to Tokyo, Japan, when it had to make an emergency return, on Friday, January 30. Flight 1 was about 4 1/2 hours into its flight, when the incident occurred. While flying at 33000 feet, 1 engine was shut down for unspecified technical reasons. The aircraft slowly descended down to 22000 feet, and was diverted to Anchorage, Alaska. The 777 landed at Anchorage without incident, about 2 hours after declaring the emergency. The aircraft was removed from service for inspection and possible repairs. AC will investigate the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

2 WESTERN LOWLAND GORILLAS WERE CAPTURED RECENTLY BY AN AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHER AT THE KENT ZOO IN ENGLAND, AS THEY CLASH OVER A FEMALE.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

FILM&TV: 2009 DGA AWARDS: "Slumdog Millionaire" continued its rags-to-riches march through Hollywood's awards season as its filmmaker, Danny Boyle, won the top honor last night from the Directors Guild of America. The win puts Boyle on the inside track for the same prize at the Academy Awards on February 22, since the guild recipient almost always goes on to win the directing Oscar. While "Slumdog Millionaire" started as an underdog that nearly went straight to DVD, it has emerged as the Oscar favorite. Audiences have embraced Boyle's tale of a poor boy rising to fame and fortune from the streets of Mumbai, and the film triumphed at the Golden Globes and Producers Guild of America Awards, while taking the prize for best ensemble cast from the Screen Actors Guild. "The Office" won the top honor for television comedy, "The Wire" took the award for TV drama and "Recount" won for TV movie. Ari Folman's "Waltz With Bashir" won the documentary award. Film critic Roger Ebert was honored with an honorary life membership in the guild. Among other guild winners: "Americans Next Top Model," "One Life to Live," and "The Poetry Show". Full details on the DGA awards can be found on the Directors Guild website.

MUSIC/SPRINGSTEEN TOPS UK ALBUM CHART: Bruce Springsteen's new album "Working on a Dream" has beaten Franz Ferdinand's latest release to the top of the chart. The rock icon achieved his 7th UK #1 album with this release. He overcame competition from Glasgow rockers Franz Ferdinand, whose "Tonight" album entered the chart at #2. In the singles chart, Lily Allen replaced Lady Gaga at #1 with her track "The Fear". Singer-songwriter Tommy Reilly, who won Channel 4's Orange Unsigned competition for new acts, entered the singles chart at #14 with "Gimme A Call".

WORLD NEWS/ ICELAND APPOINTS 1ST GAY PM

Iceland has announced a new government that will be headed by the modern world's 1st openly gay leader. Johanna Sigurdardottir was named new prime minister by the country's coalition political parties. Iceland's previous coalition cabinet of PM Geir Haarde collapsed last month under the strain of an escalating economic crisis. Ms Sigurdardottir's government said today it would immediately start to tackle Iceland's crisis. It said its priorities would be replacing the board of governors of the central bank and to ask a parliamentary committee to look at the possibility of entering the European Union. Ms Sigurdardottir, a former social affairs minister, is the member of the Social Democratic Alliance. The 66-year-old's appointment as interim leader, until elections in May, is seen by many as a milestone for the gay and lesbian movement, correspondents say. "I don't think her sexual orientation matters. Our voters are pretty liberal, they don't care about any of that," Skuli Helgeson, Social Democratic Alliance's general secretary said. Ms Sigurdardottir, who has never hidden her sexuality, is, nevetherless, very private about her personal life, never discussing it in public. She married her companion Jonina Ledsdottir in 2002. Ms Sigurdardottir is one of Iceland's most popular politicians. Her appeal has held up even as confidence in the government itself has plummeted, amid the economic crash, soaring unemployment and street protests. Born in the capital Reykjavik in 1942, Ms Sigurdardottir studied commerce before becoming a Flight Attendant for Loftleidir Airlines in 1962. After 9 years at the Airline, during which time she began a parallel career as a union organiser, she left and got an office job at a packaging firm in the capital. Ms Sigurdardottir was 1st elected to Iceland's parliament in 1978 and was given her 1st ministerial office, social affairs, in 1987. Since then, she has slowly, but steadily built her support across the country.

AVIATION/ NEW GAME BASED ON FLIGHT 1549

A free computer game has gone online that challenges players to become the next "Hero on the Hudson'' by safely landing a virtual passenger jet on the New York City waterway. The streamed game warns players that both jet engines are disabled, it is impossible to make it to an Airport, and they must ditch in the Hudson River in a virtual version of the US AIRWAYS crash landing on January 15. "The fate of the passengers is in your hands,'' reads an introductory page of the game available online at tastyplay. Players then use left and right arrow keys to keep an animated jet parallel to the surface of the onscreen river as it makes an emergency descent with dark smoke billowing from its engines. Level landings are rewarded with a banner proclaiming the player a hero as tiny figures representing passengers file onto the wings. Sloppy landings are met with the sight and sound of a sinking jet. The Pilot of the US Airways jet that ditched in icy waters off New York in real life was hailed as a hero for saving 155 passengers and crew. The former fighter Pilot was lauded for ditching the jet belly-first onto the Hudson River. The soft landing allowed passengers to safely escape from the stricken craft, without any loss of life.

AVIATION/ NEW REPORT ON 1943 SIKORSKI CRASH

An investigation into the death of General Wladyslaw Sikorski, exiled Prime Minister of occupied WWII Poland, has yielded no evidence to support a decades-old theory that he had been murdered before his plane crashed off Gibraltar just 16 seconds after takeoff from a British military base on July 4, 1943. On July 4, Sikorski was returning from an inspection of Polish forces deployed in the Middle East. He was killed, together with his daughter, his Chief of Staff, and 7 others, when the plane, a Liberator II, crashed into the sea 16 seconds after takeoff from Gibraltar at 11:07pm. Sikorski's body was exhumed last November by Polish authorities in an attempt to put to rest some of the allegations of foul play before the flight departed. Forensic testing indicates his injuries were consistent with those one might suffer in a plane crash, with no evidence of poisoning, gunshot wounds or suffocation. The Polish Court said Sikorski died from multiple organ trauma, suffered several broken ribs, broken bones in his arms and legs, a damaged spine and eye-socket, among others. "Such injuries are typical of transport accidents or falls from great height," the Court said. The Prosecutor, from the Institute of National Remembrance which investigates World War II-era crimes, expressed a renewal of focus at the release of the test results. "We can rule out certain hypotheses that have turned up over the years. We can now focus on whether the plane crash was the result of equipment failure on its own or whether there was sabotage," Koj said. Just 3 months before his death, Sikorski demanded an investigation by the International Red Cross into the Katyn Forest massacre of 4000 Polish officers at the hands of Soviet forces. The Soviet Union did not formally acknowledge responsibility for the atrocity until 1989.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

BEA REPORTS ON AIGLE 255: The French BEA have published their final report into the incident involving AIGLE AZUR Flight 255 on January 8, 2008. Flight 255 was on Scheduled International A321 Service from Paris, France, to Algiers, Algeria, with 59 passengers and 8 crew members onboard, when the incident took place. After a routine flight, the A321 suffered a tail strike while landing in Algiers. The aircraft taxied to the gate on its own. No injuries occured, however the A321 sustained minor damage to its tail assembly. The final BEA report concluded that the aircraft bounced as the result of a landing at excess speed and thrust levers still being in the CLIMB detent, producing a second hard touchdown at 3.3G. The report concludes that the incident was related to Pilot Error.
NTSB REPORTS ON REPUBLIC 2085: The NTSB has issued a report on an incident involving REPUBLIC AIRLINES Flight 2085, that occurred on December 26, 2008. The incident came to light with the issuance of the report. Flight 2085 was on Scheduled Domestic ERJ170 Service from New York La Guardia to Kansas City, Missouri, when it encountered severe turbulence while on approach to Kansas City. Flight 2085, with 73 passengers and 4 crew members onboard, was descending towards Kansas City, when it encountered an area of moderate to severe turbulence. A Flight Attendant just trying to secure a trolley in the aft galley was thrown against the ceiling and to the floor and broke her ankle. The aircraft landed without incident in Kansas City shortly thereafter. The NTSB reports that ATC advised the crew of convective activity around the Airport and cleared the ERJ to divert, if necessary due to weather. The Captain used the weather radar to determine a course, that would avoid the thunderstorms, however anticipated turbulence. The First Officer communicated the warning to the Flight Attendants and passengers. It was at that time, the Flight Attendant moved a beverage cart to the rear galley and was attempting to secure the trolley, when the ERJ encountered a violent surge of turbulence. The Flight Attendant was thrown upwards and down and fracturing her ankle. A full report into the incident is expected later this year.
INCIDENTS
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 2755: The Fokker 100 was on Scheduled International Service from Salzburg, Austria to Cork, Ireland, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, January 31. Flight 2755, with 98 passengers and 5 crew members onboard, declared an emergency while inflight at 32000 feet near Dunkirk, France. The crew reported a slow loss of cabin pressure and began an emergency descent to 8000 feet. While descending, the Captain deployed the oxygen masks in the passenger cabin. The Fokker was diverted to London Gatwick, where it landed without incident or injury. The aircraft has been removed from service for full inspection and possible repairs. Austrian is investigating the incident.
AMERICAN AIRLINES FLIGHT 181: The Boeing 767 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from New York JFK to Los Angeles, California, when it made an emergency landing at LAX, on Friday, January 30. Flight 181, with 190 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency while on approach to LAX due to unspecified problems with its flaps. The aircraft landed without incident, and has been removed from service for inspection. AA is investigating the incident.
OCEAN AIR FLIGHT 6385: The Fokker 100 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Cuiaba to Ji-Parana, Brazil, when it ran off the runway upon landing at Ji-Parana, on Friday, January 30. Flight 6385 departed the runway, however it came to a safe stand still. No one onboard was injured in the incident. According to reports, the Fokker was not damaged, but has been grounded pending a full inspection. Ocean is investigating the incident.