ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

THEATRE/"SPIDEY" SET FOR BROADWAY: "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark," the eagerly awaited new musical about the Marvel comic books hero, will begin previews at Broadway's Hilton Theatre January 16, 2010. Directed by "The Lion King's" Julie Taymor, the musical will officially open February 18, 2010. Casting will be revealed shortly. (Evan Rachel Wood, who can be seen in the film "The Wrestler," previously announced that she'll star in the musical, but no official casting has been announced.) "Spider-Man, Turn Off the Dark" features music and lyrics by Bono and The Edge and a book by Taymor and Glen Berger. Drawing from over 40 years of Marvel comic books, "Spider-Man," according to press notes, "spins a new take on the mythic tale of a young man propelled from a modest rowhouse in Queens to the sky-scraping spire of the Chrysler Building, the bustling offices of the Daily Bugle, through the dizzying canyons of Manhattan, to new vistas never before seen. The musical follows the story of teenager Peter Parker, whose unremarkable life is turned upside-down — literally — when he's bitten by a genetically altered spider and wakes up the next morning clinging to his bedroom ceiling. This bullied science-geek — suddenly endowed with astonishing powers — soon learns, however, that with great power comes great responsibility as villains test not only his physical strength but also his strength of character. Spider-Man's battles will hurtle the audience through an origin story both recognizable and unexpected — yielding new characters as well as familiar faces — until a final surprising confrontation casts a startling new light on this hero's journey."
MUSIC/AUSSIE CONCERTS SET: Coldplay, Kings of Leon, Jack Johnson and a reunited Midnight Oil lead the star-studded line-up for Australia's March 14 bushfire and flood benefit concerts, to be held simultaneously in Sydney and Melbourne. The Sydney Cricket Ground and its giant counterpart the Melbourne Cricket Ground will host the concerts. All the profits from the Melbourne show will be donated to the Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal, while money raised from the Sydney concert will be split 50-50 to benefit the bushfire appeal and the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund Appeal in Queensland, in support of victims of the Queensland floods.
FILM/"BETTY" LENSING BEGINS: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo has joined the cast of indie drama “Betty Ann Waters” alongside Hilary Swank, Minnie Driver and Sam Rockwell. Production started this week in Ann Arbor, Michigan on the film. Tony Goldwyn directs. “Betty Ann Waters” centers on an unemployed single mother who saw her brother begin serving a life sentence in 1983 for murder and robbery. Convinced that he was innocent, she earned a law degree and challenged the conviction with DNA evidence, resulting in her brother being freed in 2001. Swank’s playing the title character while Leo portrays the only woman officer at a local police station who’s trying to pin the murder on him.

WORLD NEWS/ CAMERON'S "BEAUTIFUL BOY" DIES

Ivan Cameron, the 6 year old son of Britain's Conservative Leader David Cameron, and his wife Samantha, died suddenly, early this morning at St Mary's Hospital in Paddington, London. The Cameron's, and their 2 other children, Nancy, age 5, and Arthur, age 3, have passed on their thanks for the messages of support after the death of son, their "beautiful boy". A close family friend, said that although Ivan had often been hospitalised in the past, his death had been sudden, just 45 minutes after being admitted to hospital and had "caused a profound shock and, of course, huge grief". Mr Cameron had been an MP for Witney, in Oxfordshire, for less than a year when Ivan was born in April 2002. He suffered from Cerebral Palsy and Ohtahara syndrome, a very rare form of epilepsy characterised by spasms which start in the first days of life. Some children can suffer as many as 100 seizures every day. Describing the moment when he learned of Ivan's disabilities, Mr Cameron told the Sunday Times in 2005: "The news hits you like a freight train. You are depressed for a while because you are grieving for the difference between your hopes and the reality. But then you get over that, because he's wonderful." Buckingham Palace said the Queen had sent a private message of sympathy. Prime Minister Gordon Brown who suspended the weekly Commons clash as a mark of respect, said every child was "precious and irreplaceable" and that the death of a child "was something that no parent should have to bear". The Prime Minister, whose daughter Jennifer Jane died aged just 10 days in 2002, paid tribute to Ivan saying: "I know that in an all too brief life, he brought joy to all those around him and I know also that for all the days of his life, he was surrounded by his family's love." Friend of Cameron, who most feel will became the Prime Minister at the next election, have said the experience of caring for Ivan broadened Mr Cameron's political outlook and made him a passionate supporter of the NHS, which helped provide the round-the-clock care Ivan needed. As one close friend said, "The problems that Ivan had in some way shaped that family and shaped David as a person".

AVIATION/ TURKISH 737 CRASHES IN AMSTERDAM

A Turkish airliner crashed as it tried to land at Amsterdam's Main Airport this morning, killing at least 9 people and injuring more than 50, 25 of them seriously. TURKISH AIRLINES Flight 1951 was on Scheduled International Service from Istanbul, Turkey, to Amsterdam, The Netherlands, when it went down on approach to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport. Flight 1951 departed Istanbul at 8:22am with 127 passengers and 7 crew members onboard. According to officials, the flight was routine until the aircraft was on finals. The 737 went down without warning at 10:40am, and broke into 3 pieces on impact in a field near Schiphol Airport. According to Schiphol Officials, the dead and injured include both passengers and crew. Most of the injured were seated toward the back of the plane, which sustained the most damage, a passenger on the plane told Turkish station NTV.

Witnesses on the ground said they saw the nose of the plane pitch up suddenly before the crash. A bank manager who was a passenger on the plane told NTV that there were no emergency announcements. The crew's last word to the cabin was an announcement to fasten seatbelts and prepare for landing, he said. He said he felt the Pilot giving more power to the engines before feeling "turbulence," then a sudden drop. He described the crash as similar to a sudden impact that was over in a matter of seconds. Many of the passengers simply walked off the plane through the cracks in the fuselage, witnesses told NTV. Images from the scene showed medics treating passengers on the ground next to the buckled hulk of the plane, while firefighters and police examined the aircraft. Emergency exits were wide open and there was no signs of fire damage to the fuselage. Also visible was one of the aircraft's engines, apparently separated from the shattered remains of one of the wings. According to sources on the scene, the weather at the time of the crash was partly sunny, with no wind or rain. A full investigation has already been launched, which will include both Dutch and Turkish Aviation Officals, along with Turkish Airlines and Boeing.

AVIATION/ THE LAST MINUTES OF ANZ FL888T

Further details from the newly released French Bureau for Accident Investigation, BEA, interim report on the crash of AIR NEW ZEALAND Flight 888T, on November 27, 2008, have come to light. As posted yesterday, the interim report updates the progress on the investigation into the crash. At the time of the crash, ANZ was preparing and testing an A320 for return to passenger service after the airliner had been returned from a wet lease from XL AIRWAYS. The prep work and test flights were being conducted out of Perpignan, France. On November 27, the A320 was on a test flight, with 7 crew members onboard, when it crashed while on return and approach to Perpignan. All 7 crew members, who were from both ANZ and XL, onboard were killed in the crash. The report states, that the XL crew performed a low speed test on request by the ANZ Captain with the aim to have the alpha floor protection activated while being cleared to perform the LANET ILS approach to runway 33 and cleared to 2000 feet. The A320 was levelled at 3000 feet with full landing configuration and slowed down to 99 knots with the stabilizer hitting the pitch up stop, the stall warning sounded, the pitch angle was just below 19 degrees nose up. The thrust levers were moved to near the TO/GA position, the engines subsequently spooled up symmetrically, however the speed dropped further to 92.5 knots before it began to increase again. The A320 rolled slightly to the left, then to the right, with the XL Pilot countering the movements. However, the flight law changed to direct law when the the A320 rolled to a bank angle of 50 degrees to the right. 4 seconds later the stall warning stopped, and the A320 was at a bank angle of 40 degrees to the left. 1 second later, at 15:45:20Z, the pitch angle was down to 7 degrees, the wings were nearly level and the calibrated airspeed was 138 knots. The aircraft's pitch and altitude began to increase. During that climb the stall warning activated a 2nd time, gear was retracted and the control law changed to alternate. At 15:45:44Z the A320 had reached 3800 feet of altitude, a pitch angle of 57 degrees nose up and a calibrated airspeed of below 40 knots. 11 seconds later the airplane banked to 97 degrees right and the nose fell to 42 degrees nose down. 3 seconds later the crew tried to raise the flaps to 1 and then to position 0 in an attempt to recover the aircraft. At 15:46:06 the flight data recorder stored the last values of 14 degrees nose down, 15 degrees bank to the right, 263 KCAS and an altitude of 340 feet. Less than 1 second later, the A320 impacted the sea.The BEA reported that that low speed test is expected to be performed at 14000 feeet. The computed speeds for full configuration would have been a VLS of 123 knots and a minimum speed of 107 knots.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

CONGRESS HEARS FROM FL1549: New York TRACON (Terminal Radar Approach Control) air traffic controller Patrick Harten testified before the House Aviation Subcommittee yesterday that when he heard US AIRWAYS Flight 1549 Captain Chesley Sullenberger tell him on the radio frequency, "We're gonna be in the Hudson," he feared this was the plane's "death sentence." "I asked him to repeat himself, even though I heard him just fine. I simply could not wrap my mind around those words," said Harten, a 10-year veteran, experienced controller, who joined the crew of Flight 1549 on the first panel of witnesses at a hearing called to examine the remarkable event of January 15, 2009. "People don't survive landings on the Hudson River. I believed at that moment, I was going to be the last person to talk to anyone on that plane alive." But even after Harten lost radio contact with Flight 1549 and the target disappeared from his radar scope as the A320 dropped below the tops of the Manhattan skyscrapers, there was one, last, brief glimmer of hope when the radar target momentarily reappeared at a very low altitude above the river, past the George Washington Bridge. Harten believed the crew had possibly regained the use of 1 of its engines. "Grasping at that tiny glimmer of hope," Harten testified, "I told 1549 that it could land at Newark, 7 miles away on Runway 29, but I received no response. I then lost radar contact again, this time for good." The fact that he says the hardest and most traumatic part of the entire event was when it was over: "During the emergency itself, I was hyper-focused. I had no choice but to think and act quickly, and remain calm. But when it was over, it hit me hard. It felt like hours before I learned about the heroic water landing that Captain Sullenberger and his crew had managed. Even after I learned the truth, I could not shake the image of tragedy in my mind. Every time I saw the survivors on the television, I imagined grieving widows. It has taken over a month for me to be able to see that I did a good job." Sullenberger, who was hailed as a hero for successfully landing the flight, also testified yesterday before the subcommittee, telling lawmakers the state of the Airline industry is in disarray. "Americans have experienced huge economic difficulties in recent months, but Airline employees have been experiencing those challenges and more for 8 years," Sullenberger said. "We've been hit by an economic tsunami, September 11, bankruptcies, fluctuating fuel prices, mergers, loss of pensions and revolving door management teams who have used Airline employees as an ATM." Sullenberger expressed concern the economic decline has hit the airline industry so hard that "the airline piloting profession will not be able to continue to attract the best and the brightest."

A BIT TOO MUCH TO DRINK: An EASYJET Flight Attendant was taken off of an airliner after he turned up for work 8 times over the alcohol limit. The incident, which took place on December 14, came to light today in the British media. British Police arrested Anthony Shlyshen, 48, in front of passengers on an EasyJet flight waiting to depart from London Gatwick for Belfast, Northern Ireland, after colleagues noticed his erratic behaviour and smelled alcohol on his breath. Court magistrates heard that Shlyshen turned up drunk for work after a drinking session the night before. The Flight Attendant has since pled guilty to being under the influence of drink while on duty. The news report today does not comment on Shlyshen's employment status with the Airline.

INCIDENTS

CEBU PACIFIC FLIGHT 993: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Manila to General Santos, The Philippines, when it became stuck on the runway at Manila, earlier today. Flight 993, with 170 passengers and crew onboard, was taxiing towards the runway for departure from Manila, when the aircraft got stuck in the middle of the taxiway. Officials found that the left main gear had sunk through a patch of asphalt, that had not yet completely hardened. The taxiway had undergone maintenance during the night. The passengers and crew were offloaded on the runway, and brought back to the terminal. The aircraft was not damaged, however the runway remains closed. Manila Airport Officials will investigate the incident.

VIRGIN AMERICA FLIGHT 523: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Los Angeles, California, to New York JFK, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, February 24. The crew of Flight 523 requested diversion due to an unruly passenger. The A320 was directed to Denver, Colorado, where it landed without incident. The female passenger was arrested by Denver Police. Officials did not comment on what took place onboard the aircraft. Virgin America, along with Denver Police, are investigating the incident.

NORTHWEST AIRLINES FLIGHT 901: The Boeing 747 was on Scheduled International Cargo Service from Tokyo, Japan, to Shanghai, China, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, February 24. Flight 901 requested a diversion due to a low quantity oil alert, which required them to shut down the No.4 engine. The 747 landed in Osaka, Japan, without incident, and was removed from service for inspection. NWA is investigating the incident.

JETFLYAIR.COM FLIGHT 912: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from Las Palmas, Spain, to Liege, Belgium, when it had to divert while enroute, on Sunday, February 22. Flight 912 declared an emergency and requested diversion after the cockpit windshield cracked. The 737 landed in Faro, Portugal, without incident, and was removed from service for repair. Jetflyair.com is investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

AN EMPEROR PENGUIN CAPTURED YESTERDAY NEAR THE GERMAN STATION NEUMAYER III, IN ANTARCTICA.

LUXE MEN/ CANDID SHOTS (#27)

5 SHOTS OF AMATEUR MEN FROM ALL OVER THE GLOBE.

MEDIA/ GT PROFILES MARIANNE FAITHFULL

The March 2009 issue of GT Magazine has been published today in the UK. Legendary singer Marianne Faithfull is profiled and she gives her own opinions on God, Gays, drugs, and Kate Moss! The magazine also takes a look at the world of S&M. As always, the latest in film, music, books, fashion, news, and more. The March issue will be available stateside in about 2 weeks.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

TV/JADE IS "READY FOR HEAVEN": She had gathered all her strength to walk down the aisle for her fairytale wedding. But as cancer-riddled Jade Goody returned home last night she could no longer hide her agony. Fighting back tears, the mother-of-2 had to be helped into her Essex house by her new husband Jack Tweed and her assistants. Her mum Jackiey Budden said: "She's very tired. The wedding day was fantastic, but it has worn her out." Her publicist Max Clifford said: "She was emotional and exhausted. It is possible she and Jack have just spent their only night together." The devoted groom had to leave for his mother's home to meet parole conditions imposed after he was released from jail earlier this year. Jade was so exhausted following the wedding, she spent most of yesterday in bed. "I've had the happiest day of my life," she told OK! magazine at the wedding party at Down Hall Country House Hotel in Hatfield Heath, Essex, before poignantly adding: "Now I'm ready to go to heaven."
FILM/PENN EYING PLAME FILM: "Fair Game," the drama about the outing of CIA agent Valerie Plame Wilson, has come together with Naomi Watts starring, and "Mrs. and Mrs. Smith" helmer Doug Liman directing. The big question is whether Oscar-winning "Milk" star Sean Penn will close a deal to play Ambassador Joseph Wilson. Penn is negotiating, but no deal has closed. Wilson watched his wife's CIA status become compromised after he wrote op-ed columns that accused the Bush Administration of manipulating intelligence about weapons of mass destruction to justify the invasion of Iraq. The project is based on Plame Wilson's memoir.
FILM/WOODY CASTS PINTO: Freida Pinto will follow up her performance in the Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" with a role in Woody Allen's latest project. Pinto takes on the ingenue role in the director's still-untitled pic. Naomi Watts has also signed on to star in the film, joining the already-announced Josh Brolin and Anthony Hopkins. Pinto, who has become one of the most pursued actors since her breakout performance in "Slumdog," signed with CAA in November and began looking projects. Allen's film will mark the 1st post-"Slumdog" film for the Indian-born model-turned-actress.

US NEWS/ REPUBLICANS SPREAD THE HATE

Once again, the true face of the Republican Party is on full display for all Americans to see. 2 more Republicans have spoken out against equal rights for Gays and Lesbians, with the rhetoric especially harsh in Colorado.
Hopes that the Republicans may become more accepting of the rights of gay and lesbian Americans suffered a setback yesterday when a party leader attacked civil unions. 3 weeks ago a group representing lesbian and gay Republicans said that the election of Michael Steele as chairman of the party's national committee would mark a change of direction after 2 successive election defeats. Log Cabin Republicans said that Mr Steele had acknowleged in a media interview during his campaign the importance of reaching out to Log Cabin and other mainstream GOP groups "as the party looks to chart a future course." In a radio interview yesterday Mr Steele was asked if "Republicans ought to consider some sort of alternative to redefining marriage and maybe in the road, down the road to civil unions." "No, no no," he said. "What would we do that for? What are you, crazy? No. Why would we backslide on a core, founding value of this country? I mean this isn’t something that you just kind of like, 'Oh well, today I feel, you know, loosey-goosey on marriage.'"

A Republican state Senator in Colorado has compared gay and lesbian people to murderers and adulterers. Scott Renfroe was speaking during a debate on new legislation that would grant benefits for the partners of gay and lesbian state employees. "I'm not saying this is the only sin that's out there," said Senator Renfroe. "We have murder. We have all sorts of sin. We have adultery. And we don't make laws making those legal, and we would never think to make murder legal." He added that in his view God is offended by homosexuals and regards them as an abomination. On the subject of women the Senator said they had been created as man's helper. Senate Bill 88 would allow state employees to apply for health insurance for their domestic partners. It defines the term "domestic partner" for the purpose of qualifying as the dependent of a state employee. The cost of the new bill to the state is estimated to be just $116,000 a year. It was approved yesterday but must pass another vote before it can be sent to the House.

AVIATION/ TENSE MOMENTS FOR LION AIR FL972

An Indonesian airliner was forced to land late yesterday, without its front gear but all 162 passengers and crew survived, in the latest blot on the country's poor air safety record. LION AIR Flight 972 was on Scheduled Domestic MD90 Service from Medan to Batam, Indonesia, with 156 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, when the incident took place. The crew declared an emergency after they were unable to release the airliner's nose gear as it approached Batam island's Hang Nadim airport, near Singapore. The crew circled the Airport for 60 minutes, to burn off fuel, while attempting to troubleshoot and lower the gear. (The MD90 is shown above as it circled the Batam Airport). Unable to lower the gear, the Airport foamed the runway, and the MD90 landed without its nose gear deployed. The MD90 was then evacuated. Of those onboard, 9 people were taken to hospital for treatment of shock. Their current condition is not known. Lion stated that the nose gear could not be extended because the nose gear doors did not completely open due to material fatigue. An initial examinations showed no broken parts. The nose gear has been cranked down in the meantime. The MD90 will be ferried to Jakarta for repairs. Both Lion Air and Indonesian Aviation Officials are investigating the incident. Indonesia is trying to prove it has done enough to fix its air safety record and remove a European Union ban imposed in 2007 which prevents Indonesian airliners flying through EU air space. A review is due soon on the matter. Lion Air itself, has had several incidents thru-out its 10 year incident, including an MD82 skidding off a runway in the central Java city of Solo in 2004. That incident claimed 26 lives of those onboard.

AVIATION/ BEA UPDATES ON ANZ CRASH

The BEA of France, has published an Interim Report today, inits investigation into the accident that occurred off the coast of Perpignan, France, on November 27, 2008. Air AIR NEW ZEALAND A320, which had just been returned to ANZ from XL AIRWAYS, was on a Test Flight out of Perpignan, when it crashed on its return approach. The accident claimed the lives of all 7 crew members onboard. The A320 departed from Perpignan-Rivesaltes aerodrome. This flight, planned in the leasing agreement, included a programme of checks to be performed before the return of the aircraft to Air New Zealand. The BEA report shows, specifically, that since the flight was shortened, a check at low speed planned at altitude was undertaken during the approach to Perpignan. It was during this check that the crew lost control of the A320, which crashed into the sea. The interim report contains a recommendation to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) aimed at reinforcing the regulatory requirements related to the preparation and execution of non-revenue flights. The investigation in fact showed that in the almost complete absence of indications or standards, a wide variety of descriptions by operators of these flights was found, both in their performance and in the selection and training of Pilots. The investigation continues.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

NORWAY TO SEARCH FOR AMUNDSEN: Norway's navy announced yesterday, that it will help search for the missing plane of 20th century explorer Roald Amundsen, more than 80 years after his death. The search, scheduled for later this year, will focus on a 40 square-mile area of the Arctic Ocean where researchers believe Amundsen's plane crashed in 1928. Amundsen, who is a national hero in Norway, led the first successful expedition to the South Pole from 1910 to 1912. He is also credited with being the first person to reach both the North and South Poles. Amundsen disappeared on June 18, 1928 while flying on a rescue mission with Norwegian Pilot Leif Dietrichson, French Pilot Rene Guilbaud, and 3 more Frenchmen, looking for missing members of a flight crew, whose new airship Italia had crashed while returning from the North Pole. Afterwards, a pontoon from the French Latham 47 flying boat he was in, improvised into a life raft, was found near the Tromsø coast. It is believed that the plane crashed in fog in the Barents Sea, and that Amundsen was killed in the crash, or died shortly afterwards. His body was never found. The search is scheduled to begin the last week of August, and will be filmed by a German TV station, for a documentary.

FRIENDS DEFEND FL3407 PILOT: Friends gathered last Friday for the Tampa funeral of Marvin Renslow, 47, the Pilot of downed CONTINENTAL CONNECTION Flight 3407, called Renslow cool, collected, and by-the-book, a meticulous Pilot who was always calm and in control. Their comments came in response to what some call a "rush to judgment," by blaming Renslow for the crash. Flight 3407 was on Scheduled Domestic Dash 8-400 Service from Newark, New Jersey, to Buffalo, New York, when it crashed on approach to Buffalo on February 12. All 49 passengers and crew onboard Flight 3407 were killed, as well as 1 person on the ground. NTSB investigators have focused on icing and the Pilot's actions as possible causes for the crash. The investigation is ongiong. Renslow's former roommate and a private Pilot, said, "He was always 'by the book.' There's a lot of guys out there that do fly by the seat of their pants, but he wasn't one of them." A ormer coworker bristled at the suggestion that Pilot error might have caused the fatal crash. "It makes me mad," she said. "He's a very thought-precise person. He thinks. Sometimes too much, probably." Renslow's daughter said at the funeral. "My dad did everything he could to save the lives of the people on the plane," she said. "But it was just his time. Along with everyone else."

FL1549 CREW & ATC TO TESTIFY: A House panel is hearing today from the crew of the airliner that ditched into New York's Hudson River last month and the air traffic controller who tried vainly to land the crippled plane. Lawmakers want to know what lessons can be learned regarding procedures and training for emergency landings, and how to reduce the potential for collisions between birds and aircraft. All 155 passengers and crew onboard US AIRWAYS Flight 1549 survived the January 15 river landing after the A320 apparently sucked birds into both engines. A panel of government and aviation experts, including members of a national committee that researches the danger of bird collisions, will also testify before the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Patrick Harten's testimony will mark the first time the controller has publicly discussed the tension-filled minutes on January 15 when he tried urgently to get Flight 1549 safely on the ground after it reported striking birds and losing thrust in both engines.

Making quick decisions, Harten, a controller at the New York radar facility that handles aircraft within 40 miles of 3 major Airports, tried to return the airliner to LaGuardia Airport, and then sought to send the plane to Teterboro Airport in New Jersey. Pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, who will also testify, told Harten he was unable to make either Airport. He wound up gliding the plane into the river rather than chance a catastrophic crash in a populated area.

SNAKES ALMOST ON A PLANE: A Sydney man has been charged with attempting to smuggle 44 native lizards and snakes on a flight out of Australia, including a rare albino python. The haul of reptiles allegedly found in the 24-year-old's luggage at Sydney Airport last Friday included 24 shingleback lizards, 16 bluetongue lizards and 4 snakes. The snakes have been identified as 3 black headed pythons and an albino carpet python, an extremely endangered species with numbers estimated to be as low as 100. The albino python is worth about $20,000, while Customs estimates all the reptiles in the smuggling attempt would fetch between $160,000 and $200,000 on the black market. They were detected during x-ray screenings of the man's luggage after he checked in for a flight to Bangkok. Australian officials did not report which Airline the man was scheduled to fly on.

INCIDENTS
BRITISH AIRWAYS FLIGHT 2864: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from London Gatwick to Paphos, Cyprus, when it was struck by lightning upon landing at Paphos, yesterday, February 23. Flight 2864, 93 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, had just touched down at Paphos, when passengers reported that they felt a very strong "jolt". Once the 737 was brought to a stop, the flight crew announced that the nose cone had been struck by lightning upon touchdown. No one was injured the incident, however the aircraft has been removed from service for a full inspection. BA is investigating the incident.

AEROFLOT FLIGHT 273: The A319 was on Scheduled International Service from Moscow, Russia, to Nice, France, when it had to divert while enroute, yesterday, February 23. Flight 273, with 69 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, declared an emergency and diverted to Minsk, Belarus, after the cockpit windshield cracked. The A319 landed at Minsk without incident, and is currently out or service for repairs. Aeroflot is investigating the incident.

AIR CANADA JAZZ FLIGHT 8703: The Dash 8-100 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Quebec to Montreal, Canada, when it had to make an emergency landing at Montreal, on Sunday, February 22. Flight 8703 declared an emergency after receiving an "open door" alert, while descending into Montreal. The Dash landed without incident, and was removed from service for a full inspection. AC is investigating the incident.

AIR FRANCE FLIGHT 7458: The A319 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Paris to Pau, France, when its brakes failed upon landing at Pau, on Sunday, February 22. Flight 7458, with 139 passengers and crew onboard, experienced a partial failure of its brakes upon touchdown. The crew was able to stop the aircraft at the end of the runway, and the A319 was towed to the gate. AF engineers attributed the incident to a hydraulics leak, and the aircraft was removed for repairs. AF is investigating the incident.

AIR CANADA FLIGHT 234: The ERJ190 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Vancouver to Edmonton, Canada, when it had to make an emergency return to Vancouver, on Saturday, February 21. Flight 234, with 99 passengers and crew onboard, reported unspecified problems with its flaps shortly after takeoff. The crew requested return to Vancouver, and began to circle to burn off fuel. About 9 minutes later the crew declared an emergency. The ERJ landed without incident 20 minutes later and has been removed from service for full inspection. AC is investigating the incident.

KOREAN AIR LINES FLIGHT 7603: The Boeing 747 was on Scheduled Cargo Service from Brussels, Belgium, to Seoul, South Korea, when it suffered a loss of communication while inflight, on Friday February 20. While enroute over Germany, Flight 7603 and ATC did not communicate for over 100 minutes, despite repeated attempts by ATC. The airliner did not squawk "loss of communication," thus Germany scrambled fighter planes to identify the aircraft. As the fighters approached the 747, the crew of the Korean freighter began to communicate with ATC again. Korean Air stated that the crew had missed the frequency change as the 747 entered German airspace, but continued to track their filed route. Both KAL and German Authorities are investigating the incident.

SNAPSHOTS

PLEYADES, AS CAPTURED EARLIER TODAY FROM LAS PALMAS, SPAIN.

LUXE MEN

LUXE MEN

FILM/ "SLUMDOG" SWEEPS THE OSCARS

"Slumdog Millionaire" capped its winning streak with Hollywood's top prize, the Best Picture Oscar, at last nights 81st Annual Academy Awards. The film took home 8 Oscars, with the Mumbai-based rags-to-riches tale, that nearly wound up being distributed direct to DVD, winning best picture, director, screenplay, score, song, cinematography, sound mixing and film editing. It had received 10 nominations. Overall tally bests "Shakespeare in Love," the last British-produced pic to dominate the Oscars, which had 7 wins at the 1999 kudocast. Pic's director, Danny Boyle, screenwriter Simon Beaufoy, and producer Christian Colson hail from Britain, it has a mostly Indian cast and it found its first success in America. 1/3rd of it is in Hindi and thus makes the 1st claim for a foreign-language film to take the best pic prize. British actor Kate Winslet ended a losing streak, winning her 1st Oscar in her 6th nom for portraying a former Nazi prison guard in the Holocaust drama "The Reader." Sean Penn won for his portrayal of Harvey Milk, California's 1st openly gay elected official, in biopic "Milk." Mickey Rourke had been considered a favorite for his role as a washed-up grappler in "The Wrestler," which industryites consider a career-resurrecting performance. Aussie Heath Ledger won posthumously for supporting actor as the Joker in "The Dark Knight." His father, mother and sister, took the stage to accept the honor. Spanish-actor Penelope Cruz won supporting actress for her role in Woody Allen's comedy "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," her 1st Oscar. Hugh Jackman hosted the show for the 1st time. He was warmly received by critics, and highlights included a rousing musical number with Beyonce Knowles.

THE WINNERS OF THE 81ST ANNUAL ACADEMY AWARDS:

PICTURE: Slumdog Millionaire

DIRECTOR: Danny Boyle, Slumdog Millionaire

ACTOR: Sean Penn, Milk

ACTRESS: Kate Winslet, The Reader

SUPP ACTOR: Heath Ledger, The Dark Knight

SUPP ACTRESS: Penelope Cruz, Vicky Christina Barcelona

FOREIGN FILM: Departures, Japan

ANIMATED FILM: Wall-E

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY: Milk

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY: Slumdog Millionaire

DOCUMENTARY: Man On Wire

DOCUMENTARY SHORT: Smile Pinki

COSTUME: The Duchess

ART DIRECTION: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

MAKEUP: The Curious Case of Benjanmin Button

VISUAL EFFECTS: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

CINEMATOGRAPHY: Slumdog Millionaire

SOUND EDITING: The Dark Knight

SOUND MIXING: Slumdog Millionaire

FILM EDITING: Slumdog Millionaire

ORIGINAL SCORE: Slumdog Millionaire

SONG: "Jai Ho,"Slumdog Millionaire

LIVE ACTION SHORT: Spielzeugland

ANIMATED SHORT: La Maison en Petits Cubes

PICTURE DETAILS FROM TOP: The cast of "Slumdog Millionair," Kate Winslet, Sean Penn, Heath Ledger family, Penelope Cruz, Hugh Jackman, Hugh Jackman & Beyonce.

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

KOL & ALLEN TOP UK MUSIC CHARTS: Kings of Leon’s double triumph at the BRIT Awards last week delivered a big sales boost on the new UK Music charts Sunday. The quartet returned to #1 with the album “Only By The Night” and, on the singles survey, jumped back from #12 to #3 with “Use Somebody” and from #19 to #14 with “Sex On Fire.” "Only By The Night" debuted at #1 in the UKS last September and has never been out of the Top 10 since. KoL replaced Lily Allen’s “It’s Not Me, It’s You" which fell to #2 after debuting at the top last week, but Allen scored a 4thweek at #1 with the single “The Fear.” Morrissey’s “Years of Refusal” entered the album chart at #3, in contrast to the #1 debut of its 2006 predecessor “Ringleader of the Tormentors.” Duffy followed her triple victory at the BRITS by almost doubling her weekly sales with “Rockferry” (A&M/Universal), which raced from #19 to #4, 1week before its 1st anniversary on the chart. Elbow reaped the rewards of their best British group award, jumping from #23 to #5 with “The Seldom Seen Kid" in its 43rd week on the chart. There was also a #33 to #8 climb for the Ting Tings’ “We Started Nothing”. Seasick Steve jumped from #24 to #9 with “I Started Out With Nothin’ and I Still Got Most Of It Left.” The Pet Shop Boys entered at #19 with “Popart - The Hits”. Elsewhere on the singles chart, the Prodigy’s “Omen” moved from #8 to #4, Shontelle’s “T-Shirt” from #10 to #6, and Pussycat Dolls’ “Whatcha Think About That” from #15 to #10. Also performing well were Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face” up from #22 to #15 as her “Just Dance” held at #2. There was also a UK singles chart debut for Taylor Swift, new at #22 with “Love Story". But her Mercury labelmates U2 had a somewhat disappointing #12 entry with “Get On Your Boots,” despite the band’s prominent opening performance of the track at the BRIT Awards.

AVIATION/ GARUDA FL200 TRIAL NEARS END

As the months long trial winds down, Indonesian Distict Court Prosecutors have called for a GARUDA INDONESIA AIRWAYS Pilot to be sentenced to 4 years in jail for his part in the fatal crash of a Boeing 737 on March 7, 2007. Garuda Flight 200 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Jakarta to Yogyakarta, Indonesia, when it slid off the wet runway upon landing in Yogyakarta. The 737 crossed a road, and impacted an embankment before stopping in a rice paddy field 252 meters from the threshold of runway 27, and then burst into flames. Of those onboard, 20 of the 133 passengers, and 1 of the 7 crew members, were killed in the crash. The 119 survivors suffered minor to critical injuries. The 737 was destroyed. The investigation into the accident placed the entire blame of the crash on the flight crew. The offical Indonesian Government Report said:

1. Flight crew communication and coordination was less than effective after the aircraft passed 2336 feet on descent after flap 1 was selected. Therefore the safety of the flight was compromized.

2. The Pilot in command, flew the aircraft at an excessively high airspeed and steep descent during the approach. The crew did not abort the approach when stabilized approach criteria were not met.

3. The Pilot in command did not act on the 15 GPWS alerts and warnings, and the 2 calls from the Co-Pilot to go around.

4. The Co-Pilot did not follow company instructions and take control of the aircraft from the Pilot in command when he saw that the Pilot in command repeatedly ignoring warnings to go around.

5. Garuda did not provide simulator training for its Boeing 737 flight crews covering vital actions and required responses to GPWS and EGPWS alerts and warnings such as ‘TOO LOW TERRAIN’ and ‘WHOOP, WHOOP PULL UP’."

During court proceedings earlier today, Sleman Distict Court Prosecutors have called for the Pilot, Muhammad Marwoto bin Kumar, to be sentenced 4 years in jail for his negligence in crashing an airplane. Prosecutor Modim Aristo said that the defendant had violated article 479 G, points A and B, of the Indonesian Criminal Code. "Based on all testimonies and evidence, we have asked for the judges to declare him guilty as his ignorance caused the accident which claimed 21 lives". A ruling in the case is expected soon.

AVIATION NEWS BRIEFS

SEARCHES FOR SAA CREWS: All baggage belonging to SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS staff will be searched, the country's Airport chiefs have announced after crews were found carrying drugs. The searches are part of a strict new regime being introduced by the Airline and Airports Company SA. They have set up a task force including police and customs officers to try to stamp out smuggling. Twice in the past month huge quantities of cocaine have been found in baggage belonging to crews flying into Britain. The most recent find took place a week ago, when customs officers uncovered 5kg of cocaine in luggage at London's Heathrow Airport.

INVESTIGATION OVER WAYWARD TROLLEY: Japanese Aviation Officials have launched an investigation into a recent incident onboard a JAL Boeing 747. JAL Flight 61 was on Scheduled International Service from Los Angeles, California, to Tokyo, Japan, with 215 passengers and crew onboard, on February 11. About 3 minutes after departure from LAX, an inflight service trolley, weighing about 60kg, departed its rack in the center galley and impacted the rear rack of the galley. No injuries occured, and the aircraft continued to Tokyo, where it landed without incident. JAL did not file at report at the time of the incident, however Japanese Aviation Officials learned of the incident from unknown sources. The Officials then demanded a full report from JAL. Preliminary findings suggest that 2 Flight Attendants failed to verify that the trolley was secured. Regulations require that the lock of the trolleys is to be verified by 1 Flight Attendant and cross checked by another. The investigation continues. Authorities also noted that there had been a similiar accident on November 3, 2007, when a trolley onboard oa SKYMARK AIRLINES Boeing 767-300 came loose during the landing roll and collided with a passenger, who suffered a fractured foot.

US AIRWAYS BACKTRACKS: US AIRWAYS has announced that free beverage service will resume on March 1 on board its planes. The change reverses part of the a la carte business model the Airline has trumpeted over the last year. The Airline began charging $2 for soda, juice, coffee and bottled water in coach cabins on domestic flights on August 1, 2008. First-class passengers and all passengers traveling on trans-Atlantic flights still received free drinks. The Airline received hundreds of complaints on the matter, and no other major US carrier followed suit with the charge. US Airways acknowledged that it put the carrier at a disadvantage in its competition with other carriers.

TRULY OPEN SKIES FOR OZ & NZ: Flights between Australia and New Zealand are set to be reclassified as domestic routes, removing stringent immigration procedures and cutting fares by up to 30%. After 2 years of discussions, Australian and New Zealand Customs are planning trials to clear passengers before they board flights between the countries. An Open Skies bilateral air services agreement is already in place, easing the rules for carriers flying between the 2 countries. But quarantine, security and immigration issues have to be addressed to make the route a common border. The trials will look at creating a clearance system similar to those used for passengers travelling from Canada into the United States and in Europe across European Union countries. Once they are cleared at their point of origin passengers enter any port as a domestic visitor.

INCIDENTS

VIRGIN BLUE FLIGHT 807: The Embraer 170 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Melbourne to Sydney, Australia, when it had to make an emergency return to Melbourne, earlier today. Flight 807, with 79 passengers and crew onboard, burst a left main gear tire on takeoff from Melbourne. The aircraft landed back at Melbourne without incident, and has been removed from service for repairs. Virgin Blue is investigating the incident.

PINNACLE AIRLINES FLIGHT 2150: The CRJ200 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Grand Rapids, Michigan, to New York La Guardia, when it had to make an emergency return to Grand Rapids, yesterday, February 22. Flight 2150, with 26 passengers and crew onboard, had to return to Grand Rapids after the landing gear would not retract after its departure. The CRJ landed without incident, and has been removed from service for inspection and repairs. Pinnacle is investigating the incident.

NORWEGIAN AIR SHUTTLE FLIGHT 1304: The Boeing 737 was on Scheduled International Service from Oslo, Norway, to London Stansted, when it had to make an emergency return to Oslo, yesterday, February 22. Flight 1304, with 165 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency and returned to Oslo, after the crew received various failure messages for the navigation systems. The 737 landed without incident, and has been removed from service for a full inspection. Norwegian is investigating the incident.

TAM FLIGHT 3860: The A320 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Recife to Joao Pessoa, Brazil, when it had trouble landing at Joao Pessoa, on Saturday, Februar 21. Flight 3860, with 100 passengers and 6 crew members onboard, had to abort its 1st landing attempt at Joao Pessoa, when the gear was indicated unsafe after being lowered. After conducting a missed approach the crew requested a low approach to have the gear inspected by the tower. Tower Controllers reported to the crew that the gear was down and appeared to be ok. The A320 landed on its 3rd approach without incident, however it had to be towed off the runway. The aircraft has been removed from service for a full inspection. TAM has opened an investigation into the incident.

CIRRUS AIRLINES FLIGHT 1145: The Embraer 170 was on Scheduled Domestic Service from Muenster to Frankfurt, Germany, on behalf of LUFTHANSA, when it had to make an emergency return to Muenster, on Saturday, February 21. Flight 1145, with 40 passengers and crew onboard, declared an emergency shortly after takeoff, due to smoke in the cockpit and passenger cabin. The aircraft landed without incident, and was inspected by Emergency Services. No trace or origin of the smoke was found. The aircraft was inspected overnight and returned to service yesterday. Cirrus is investigating the incident.

ATLASJET FLIGHT 6900: The A320 was on Scheduled International Service from Istanbul, Turkey, to Sulaimaniya, Iraq, when it was damaged prior to departure from Istanbul, on Thursday, February 19. Flight 6900, with 56 passengers and crew onboard, was being pushed back from the gate, when the towbar broke. The aircraft rolled backwards about 45 meters down wet concrete onto soft grass, where it struck a light pole with its left horizontal stabilizer. The light pole was knocked over and the A321 sustained damage to the left horizontal stabilizer and the tail cone. The passengers and crew were offloaded and the aircraft removed from service. The aircraft sustained substantial damage and repair status is unknown. Atlasjet is investigating the incident.