GPS tracking to combat domestic violence

REPEAT domestic violence offenders could be strapped with GPS tracking bracelets and forced to foot the bill under a NSW government proposal.

NSW Community Services and Family Minister Pru Goward will take the proposal within the next week to a ministerial taskforce investigating ways to tackle domestic violence, including sentencing options.

A spokesman for Ms Goward confirmed the minister wanted to see the taskforce also look at funding options, including making perpetrators pay for the GPS bracelet themselves.

Karen Willis of the NSW Rape Crisis Centre said in certain circumstances a GPS tracking bracelet would be useful.

"I think there is merit in the idea but we can't see that as the answer for everything," she said.

Ms Willis said her concern was police being able to respond in a timely manner.

The violent domestic crimes taskforce, which Ms Goward will chair and Ms Willis is a member of, will look at support for witnesses and sentencing options for perpetrators.

The GPS proposal was visited in 2012 during a NSW parliamentary inquiry but there were concerns about the cost and reliability of a tracking system.

Ms Goward told Fairfax Media the tool should be visited again.

"We need to consider what other jurisdiction are doing to combat domestic violence and how advancements in technology may help improve the safety of victims and of course deter perpetrators," she said.

The proposal has also been flagged in Western Australia.

11.26 | 0 komentar | Read More

Obama's Funny or Die skit gets 15m hits

US President Barack Obama's online interview with Zach Galifianakis has reached 15 million views. Source: AAP

US President Barack Obama's appearance on the Between Two Ferns satirical online talk show this week has reached 15 million views - almost at Justin Bieber levels.

The website Funny or Die said on Friday that Obama's interview with Zach Galifianakis, posted on Tuesday, will likely beat Bieber's record of 17.8 million views for the show.

The pop singer's appearance was posted in September.

The president's appearance to persuade young people to sign up for health insurance is a key moment for the internet, much like Franklin Roosevelt's fireside chats were for radio and the Kennedy-Nixon debate for television, says Dick Glover, CEO of the comic website started by Will Ferrell.

"It truly validates that it is an incredibly valuable medium for the president," he said.

For his part, Obama told Ryan Seacrest in an interview that he figured he'd reached his target audience when his daughter Malia was excited that he'd done the interview when he told her at the dinner table.

She had seen most of the Between Two Ferns posts, he said.

Galifianakis' act is to ask his guest hostile or inappropriate questions. But Obama said he seemed nervous at the White House taping.

"He was looking around at all the Secret Service guys with guns and thinking, 'I wonder what happens if I cross the line?"' the president said.

Obama will have a way to go to beat Funny or Die's record of 81 million views for a video posted in 2007, showing Ferrell being harassed by a pint-sized "landlord."

Now that Galifianakis has interviewed Obama, who's next on the Between Two Ferns wish list?

"(Russian President Vladimir) Putin is certainly up there," Glover said.

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Data suggests 'skilled' flyer turned jet

Some experts theorise one of the pilots or someone else hijacked the missing Malaysia Airlines jet. Source: AAP

A MALAYSIAN jet that vanished a week ago appears to have changed course and continued flying for hours, a senior Malaysian military official says, citing radar data indicating a "skilled, competent" pilot was at the controls.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official cited Malaysian military radar data that investigators believe indicate the Boeing 777 may have radically changed course and headed northwest towards the Indian Ocean.

"It has to be a skilled, competent and a current pilot," the official said.

"He knew how to avoid the civilian radar. He appears to have studied how to avoid it."

The intended flight path for the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight was to be north over the South China Sea and Vietnam.

The new information, coupled with multiple corroborative but unconfirmed reports, suggests the investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 was increasingly focusing on something going wrong in the cockpit.

Analysts have said that could include a sudden loss of cabin pressure or other mechanical event that incapacitated the pilots, catastrophic pilot error, or more sinister possibilities such as the plane being commandeered by a hijacker or rogue member of the flight crew, or pilot suicide.

All signs so far point to a "controlled, deliberate act, not a mechanical failure", said Scott Hamilton, managing director of US-based aviation consultancy Leeham Co.

The mounting reports of an unexplained banking to the west have coincided with a shift of search and rescue resources toward the Indian Ocean.

A US destroyer and surveillance plane joined expanded search operations Saturday in the Bay of Bengal.

The international search effort had focused in its early days on the South China Sea.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Steven Warren said the USS Kidd guided missile destroyer and a P-8 Poseidon aircraft had been deployed to the "western search area" at the request of Malaysian authorities.

While the Kidd would search the Andaman Sea and Bay of Bengal, the P-8 would cover "a much larger search area... the southern portion of the Bay of Bengal and the northern portion of the Indian Ocean," Warren said.

The Boeing 777, with 239 passengers and crew on board, including six Australians and two New Zealanders, vanished March 8 over waters between Malaysia and southern Vietnam. The night was clear and no distress signal was received.

The hunt had initially focused on the South China Sea but has shifted dramatically given the absence of any findings, and following the indications the plane altered course.

India's navy said it was doubling, at Malaysia's behest, the number of ships and planes it had deployed to search the Indian Ocean waters around its remote Andaman and Nicobar islands.

The six vessels and five planes were concentrating on an area "designated" by the Malaysian navy in the southern region of the Andaman Sea, naval spokesman D.K. Sharmasaid.

Close to 60 ships and 50 aircraft from 13 countries have been deployed across the entire search zone since MH370 went missing.

For distraught relatives of the passengers and crew, the expanded search offered no immediate relief from the anguished frustration of a week tainted by false leads and rumours.

Malaysian Transport and Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein on Friday repeatedly refused to comment on what he termed "unverified" information, as reports of an altered flight path mounted.

Multiple US media reports also had cited unidentified officials as saying a satellite continued to detect the plane's automated communication system for hours after radar contact was lost.

The New York Times reported that Malaysian military radar data had shown the airliner altering course at least twice and changing altitude - sometimes erratically.

"If this is criminal - as looks increasingly likely - then information is going to be held closely to prevent leaks," Hamilton said.

Hishammuddin confirmed the expansion of search operations in the Indian Ocean and said Malaysia was "sharing information we don't normally share for security reasons", hinting at confidential military data being scrutinised for clues.

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Inquiry into union activities under way

The federal government's royal commission into alleged union corruption is officially under way. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott insists he wants a royal commission to root out corruption in the trade union movement for all honest unions and workers.

The inquiry officially began on Friday under the leadership of former High Court justice Dyson Heydon QC.

It will focus on five unions, including the Health Services Union (HSU), which was once led by former Labor MP Craig Thomson, who was recently convicted of misusing HSU funds.

Mr Heydon will inquire into trade union governance arrangements, alleged financial irregularities and the conduct of union officials.

Alleged bribes, secret commissions or other unlawful payments will also be covered.

Unions have called the royal commission a political witch-hunt designed to weaken the labour movement, and Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has said allegations of union corruption should be referred to police.

Mr Abbott accepts the inquiry could cause problems for the Labor party but says the war is on corruption, not unions.

"The intent is to try to ensure we have honest unions," Mr Abbott told ABC radio.

"For too long, too many members of the Labor party have been defending the indefensible."

Attorney-General George Brandis says protecting the interests of union members can best be done with the powers of a royal commission.

A person of Mr Heydon's eminence would not involve himself in a political witch-hunt, Senator Brandis said.

He told reporters Mr Shorten owed his position as Labor leader to trade union bosses, and was a former trade union boss presiding over a shadow cabinet of former trade union bosses.

"I hope the Labor party has nothing to fear because if members of the Labor party are fearful, it is only because they have engaged in or know about misconduct," he told reporters in Sydney.

The commission, which is due to provide its final report by December 31, will hold its first hearing on April 9.

The chief executive of resource industry employer group AMMA, Steve Knott, says the royal commission is an opportunity to stamp out unacceptable breaches of the trust of working people, and of the country's laws.

"It will compel employers, employees and union representatives to provide witness evidence and finally remove the shield of legal privilege from wrongdoings and cover-ups," he said.

The Australian Industry Group wants the commission to focus on funds and entities established by unions purportedly to provide redundancy, income protection and training benefits to members, but which provide lucrative and inappropriate revenue streams to unions.

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ANZ leaves rates on hold

ANZ is keeping its home loan interest rates on hold for another month.

The bank's standard variable rate remains at 5.88 per cent per annum, after the Reserve Bank of Australia left the cash rate at a record low of 2.5 per cent on March 4.

The ANZ last changed its variable mortgage rate in August 2013, when it cut it by 25 basis points.

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WA tiger gives birth to three cubs in UK

A SUMATRAN tiger born at Perth Zoo has given birth to three cubs in the UK, and keepers have captured their first moments on hidden cameras.

The triplets were born at London Zoo to five-year-old Sumatran tigress Melati after a 106-day pregnancy.

Zookeepers monitored the birth in the early hours of February 3 using remote camera technology. The cubs arrived within an hour of each other.

Melati and her offspring remain in their dens, and Melati only ventures away from the youngsters to get food.

Zookeeper Teague Stubbington said the mother was responding well to the cubs.

"We've been observing them 24/7 and one of us is always on duty to keep an eye on the little ones throughout the night," he said.

"We've even been able to observe key milestones like their eyes opening and their tentative first steps."

Mr Stubbington said while the cubs' sex was not yet known, zookeepers were starting to see their personalities develop.

"We've nicknamed one Trouble, as it's much bolder than the others," he said.

"It was the first to start exploring its den and we've spotted it waking up its siblings when they fall asleep."

Melati and her two brothers, Jaya and Satri, were born at Perth Zoo in 2008.

Melati was later moved from Perth to London as part of a breeding program.

Sumatran tigers are under extreme threat from deforestation, as well as the continuing illegal trade in tiger parts.

It is estimated that only 300 remain in the wild.

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Strong jobs growth but jobless rate steady

The unemployment rate remained steady at 6.0 per cent in February, official figures show. Source: AAP

THE unemployment rate stayed at a decade high of six per cent in February, but there are plenty of signs of improvement in the jobs market.

The number of people with jobs rose by 47,300 in the month - the biggest rise in nearly two years - following a gain of 2,700 in January, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

The participation rate - the proportion of the population that have a job, are looking for work or are ready to start work, rose to 64.8 per cent, from 64.6 in January, the ABS said.

RBC Capital Markets currency strategist Michael Turner described the figures as "stellar" and said the rise in the participation rate is a welcome development, given how much it had fallen recently.

"There's still a bit of slack in the labour force but the trend in employment looks to have improved noticeably over the past six months," he said.

"This fits well with the clear improvement in hiring intentions and ANZ job ad data over the past few months.

Mr Turner expects the unemployment rate to peak during the second quarter of 2014 at around 6.25 per cent.

"It's still uncertain how things will play out in the mining sector in the second half of the year but generally we think there will be slightly firmer outcomes for employment in the second half of the year," he said.

In recent testimony to parliament, Reserve Bank of Australia governor Glenn Stevens said he expects the unemployment rate to peak a little above six per cent in 2014.

Economic growth has strengthened in recent months, but employment growth had been quite weak.

Mr Stevens said this is because employment growth lags behind a rise in economic growth by one or two quarters.

Westpac senior economist Justin Smirk said the labour market was expected to turn around after a series of weak results in the second half of 2013.

"Westpac has been expecting, and forecasting, such an improvement in the labour market in 2014," he said.

"If it did not, this would have indicated that the Australian economy was dipping into something more like a recession."

Mr Smirk said the participation rate will return to its previous levels as the jobs market gets better and as more people feel encouraged to start looking for work.

"A better employment outcome should result in a lift in the participation rate and thus we expect to see a somewhat more flat participation rate over the next six months or so bringing it back more in line with what you would expect given the aging population," he said.

Full-time employment rose by 80,500 in February - the biggest rise in more than a decade - while part-time employment was down 33,300.

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Pedophile found guilty of Daniel's murder

Jurors deciding the fate of Daniel Morcombe's accused killer are deliberating for a second day. Source: AAP

REPEAT child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan has been found guilty of murdering Queensland schoolboy Daniel Morcombe in 2003.

Jurors in the Supreme Court trial took seven-and-a-half hours to find the 44-year-old pedophile and father-of-three guilty of murder.

He was also found guilty of indecently dealing with Daniel and interfering with his corpse.

The jury in Brisbane announced their verdict shortly after 1pm on Thursday, marking 10 years and three months since Daniel, then 13, was abducted from a bus stop on the Sunshine Coast, shortly before Christmas.

Daniel's parents Bruce and Denise Morcombe clasped hands when the jury's spokesperson announced the unanimous verdict before Justice Rosyln Atkinson.

The judge thanked the six men and six women of the jury before dismissing them.

"You've brought an end to this terrible case, you've considered all the evidence, you considered your verdict very carefully," she said.

"I have noted throughout the trial the careful attention you have given to all of the evidence.

"You have been a truly magnificent jury and I thank you very, very much for what you've done and I excuse you from further jury service."

The Morcombes embraced after the judge left the room.

The Daniel Morcombe Foundation, established by Daniel's parents, has released a statement thanking police, SES volunteers and forensics experts for helping to bring a killer to justice.

"On behalf of our entire family we thank everyone who has contributed to finding the answers and especially for never forgetting Daniel," the statement said.

"Compelling evidence has proven beyond reasonable doubt Cowan's guilt."

Before abducting and killing Daniel on December 7, 2003, and dumping his body at the Glass House Mountains, Cowan had been convicted of two previous child sex offences.

In 1987, while completing an order to do community service at a supervised playground in Brisbane, the then 18-year-old Cowan lured a seven-year-old boy into the toilets and molested him.

A few years later, when he was 24 and living at a Darwin caravan park, Cowan was approached by a six-year-old boy who was asking for help to find his sister.

Instead of helping the boy, Cowan led the child into bushland and brutally sexually assaulted him on the rusted wreck of a car.

The assault left the child in intensive care with terrible injuries including a collapsed and punctured lung, blackened eyes, large cuts caused by the rusty wreck, and injuries to his neck that suggested "an asphyxial element".

To prove that Cowan murdered and abducted Daniel, the prosecution brought 116 witnesses before the court over a four-and-a-half week trial.

The jury rejected Cowan's defence argument that another convicted pedophile, Douglas Jackway, was responsible.

The prosecution successfully argued Cowan's admission to undercover police officers, posing as a criminal gang, was truthful.

Cowan will be sentenced later on Thursday.

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Abbott excludes SA premier from event

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott has defended a decision to exclude South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill from an announcement that the state is set to be the base for a squadron of high-tech surveillance aircraft.

The project, which is expected to provide a $100 million boost to the South Australian economy, was announced on Thursday, just days ahead of Saturday's state election, inside a hangar at the Edinburgh RAAF base in front of military personnel, as well state opposition leader Steven Marshall.

However, Mr Weatherill was not invited despite Mr Abbott conceding after making his announcement that both the premier and opposition leader would normally be invited to such an event.

"Well, we are in an election campaign and in an election campaign the caretaker conventions dictate that the premier and the alternative premier are of equal status," Mr Abbott said.

"But there is one of the two who wants to work constructively with the commonwealth, the other of the two wants to fight with the commonwealth."

The prime minister rejected suggestions that it was, in fact, him that was picking a fight, insisting that he wanted to work constructively with all premiers and chief ministers regardless of their political persuasion.

"The incumbent premier thinks that his role is to fight with the commonwealth," Mr Abbott said.

"I think the South Australian people want better than that. They expect their leaders, their state leader and the national leader, to work constructively together like adults."

Mr Weatherill said he was not surprised to be excluded from the event, adding that "it's what you'd expect from Tony Abbott".

"Usual protocols would dictate that I would be invited to such a thing but it's a bit of petty politics," Mr Weatherill said.

Mr Weatherill said his government had already done a lot of work in terms of securing the drone project.

"This is the work that is being done through Defence SA led by General Cosgrove and now Air Vice Marshall Houston. Defence SA has been working on this for some time," Mr Weatherill said.

He said there was a clear choice for voters in Saturday's election, which the latest polls suggest will see Labor's 12-year rule come to an end.

"You can have Steven Marshall working hand in hand with Tony Abbott him on his cuts to penalty rates, on his cuts to Medicare and his cuts to education, and we'll stand up to for South Australia against all of that," Mr Weatherill said.

In addition to the $100 million boost expected to come from the drone project, the federal government has said it would add another $20 million in economic spin-offs.

It is expected to create about 100 jobs.

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EBay CEO's pay for 2013 sinks 53%

The pay of EBay's CEO has plunged 53 per cent after it missed its financial targets. Source: AAP

EBAY CEO John Donahoe's total compensation for 2013 plunged 53 per cent compared with 2012, when the e-commerce company gave its leader more than $US23 million ($A25.5 million) in stock awards.

The Californian company, which is sparring with activist investor Carl Icahn over board seats and its future direction, also gave Donahoe, 53, and other executives a lower-than-targeted incentive payment earlier this year.

It noted that eBay missed financial targets last year, according to a regulatory filing.

EBay's compensation committee "concluded that while Mr Donahoe continued to perform well against many ... goals, the (company's) financial performance for 2013 and positioning relative to its competitors at the start of 2014 did not fully meet expectations," it said in a proxy statement filed Monday.

EBay's earnings rose nine per cent and revenue climbed 14 per cent last year, as the company closed out 2013 with a strong holiday season.

Its stock also rose eight per cent to end 2013 at $US54.86, but the Standard & Poor's 500 index soared more than 29 per cent last year.

EBay is fighting a push by Icahn to split the company in two by spinning off its PayPal payment arm, which is growing more quickly than the rest of the company. The investor also has nominated a pair of directors for eBay's board and complained about Donahoe's performance.

Icahn contends eBay sold video-chat site Skype prematurely, a move that cost shareholders $US4 billion.

EBay is urging shareholders to support its directors, and it strongly believes PayPal should stay part of the company. No date has been set yet for the annual meeting at which shareholders will vote on the board and other issues.

For 2013, Donahoe received compensation totalling $US13.8 million. That included a salary of $US993,269 and a performance-based bonus of $US1.6 million, which was down 43 per cent. The company awarded this bonus earlier this year based on its 2013 performance.

Donahoe also received stock and option awards totalling about $US11.1 million in 2013.

That's less than half of what he received in 2012, when eBay gave the executive a one-time, $US14.9 million grant as part of the company's performance-based incentive plan. Donahoe also received more than $US20 million in stock and option awards in 2008, the year he became CEO.

Excluding the stock and option awards, Donahoe's compensation for 2013 fell 30 per cent compared with 2012.

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Housing construction set to strengthen

The number of home loans approved in January was virtually unchanged, official figures show. Source: AAP

HOUSING finance failed to grow for a second straight month in January, but economists are encouraged by a rise in the number of loans approved for construction of new homes.

The number of home loans approved in January was 51,054, almost unchanged from 51,045 approvals in December, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Wednesday.

JP Morgan economist Tom Kennedy said a 5.8 per cent rise in loan approvals for the construction of new homes in January was encouraging.

"From a growth perspective that's what you want to see because you want construction activity picking up, which is what really matters for the overall GDP (gross domestic product) picture," he said.

"Construction activity will have a knock on affect for employment, not just in the construction sector, it's broader than that it's quite a large component of the Australian economy."

Mr Kennedy said the Reserve Bank of Australia would like to see construction activity pick up and purchases of established dwellings fall.

"That would take some heat away from house prices," he said.

National Australia Bank senior economist Spiros Papadopoulos was also not too concerned about the flat result for total housing finance in January.

"We have seen a strong upward trend over the past year and given low interest rates will be around for most of this year, we expect these series to bounce back in coming months," he said.

"It's encouraging that we have seen small growth in the first home buyers, their ratio of owner occupier approvals has risen to 13.2 per cent from 12.7 per cent.

"That had been trending lower."

St George Bank senior economist Jo Horton said low interest rates were helping to boost demand for housing.

"The broader picture points to solid owner-occupier demand, at least among upgraders," she said.

"Meanwhile, investor demand remains very strong, despite a weaker month in January.

"The strength of the housing market, and in particular investor demand, confirms that low interest rates are working to support the economy and supports our long held view that the RBA is done cutting rates in this cycle.

"Low interest rates should continue to support housing demand and housing activity well into this year."

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Court action over Vic abortion protests

THE City of Melbourne says new 'move on' laws will help it deal with anti-abortion protesters, as the council faces legal action for failing to stop their harassment of patients.

The Fertility Control Clinic in East Melbourne says patients have been intimidated by protesters for decades, called murderers and whores and told they were going to hell as they tried to enter the clinic.

It is taking Supreme Court action against the City of Melbourne for failing to enforce laws that could stop the protests.

Susie Allanson, a psychologist at the clinic, said she has seen patients arrive shaking and in tears.

"We consider this not to be protest, we consider this to be chronic bullying and intimidation," Dr Allanson said on Wednesday.

Lawyer Elizabeth O'Shea said the council has shirked its responsibility and failed to take the problem seriously.

Lord Mayor Robert Doyle said City of Melbourne officers visited the clinic twice a week, but protesters were difficult to prosecute because they understood "how to play the game".

He said the move-on laws could be used against the anti-abortion protesters.

"Until the premier has put these laws in, they have been able to game the system," he said.

"That's why I'm delighted these move-on laws will apply to these protesters."

Ms O'Shea said move-on powers already exist and have not been used against anti-abortion protesters in the past.

"I would be surprised if the move-on powers were ever used on protesters out the front of the clinic," she said.

Tanya O'Brien, a spokeswoman for Helpers of God's Precious Infants, said the group may seek to appear in the court proceeding as a friend of the court.

"We would certainly like to challenge the lies that the clinic bring up in that court case," she told Fairfax Radio.

Ms O'Brien denied the group harasses people.

"We aren't there to fight, we are there to reach out in help," she said.

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Church pursued abuse victim for costs

A NSW hearing will examine the response of the Catholic Church to John Ellis's claim of child abuse. Source: AAP

THE Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney under then-Archbishop George Pell showed no concern for the well-being of sex abuse victim John Ellis as church solicitors fought him in court, a hearing has been told.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the experiences of abuse survivor John Ellis when he went through the church's internal process Towards Healing and then civil litigation.

Mr Ellis was sexually abused between 1974 and 1979 when he was aged between 13 and 17 by Aidan Duggan, who was a Catholic priest at Bass Hill in Sydney.

The case of Mr Ellis, who failed in his attempts to sue Cardinal Pell and the trustees of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, has entered legal history.

In 2005 it was found he could sue neither, and this has been interpreted by some as creating church immunity from prosecution over abuse.

Gail Furness SC, counsel advising the commission, on Monday said that for three years the archdiocese instructed its solicitors to seek financial information from Mr Ellis and "continued to adopt this strategy even after being advised by Mr Ellis' solicitor that his health had deteriorated and there was prospect of self harm if the costs award was pursued".

"The manner in which this litigation was conducted caused harm and suffering to Mr Ellis," Ms Furness said.

"Concern for Mr Ellis' well-being was not apparent at the time of litigation from either the archdiocese or Cardinal Pell's chosen solicitors."

Ms Furness said evidence from Cardinal Pell will say he was not aware Mr Ellis had nominated a settlement of $100,000 and he understood he was pursuing a claim for "many millions of dollars".

Ms Furness said in May 2002 Mr Ellis approached Towards Healing after memories came flooding back of the abuse he suffered as a teenager.

"The memories were painful and frightening and they came with strong physical memories of the abuse," Ms Furness told the commission.

After initial investigation by the church's Professional Standards Office, director John Daveron wrote to Mr Ellis on Christmas Eve 2002 simply regretting "that clear resolution of the matter was not possible".

This was based on the fact that Fr Duggan had dementia and the facts of the case could not be clarified.

The letter caused Mr Ellis considerable emotional distress, Ms Furness said.

Mr Ellis continued with Towards Healing. In that time his first marriage ended and he was asked to resign as a partner from his law firm because of criticism of his interpersonal skills.

The church made a "financial gesture" by offering him $30,000 and asked him to sign a deed of release.

Mr Ellis then sought his own legal advice.

The matter went to court. Ms Furness said several offers of settlement and mediation were rejected by Cardinal Pell and the church's Melbourne law firm Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

The firm vigorously defended the case, questioning the veracity of Mr Ellis's claims and whether the archbishop and the trustees were properly named as defendants.

When Mr Ellis lost the court case the archbishop's solicitors informed Mr Ellis that their costs were likely to be up to $550,000.

They offered to forgo costs if Mr Ellis did not appeal to the High Court.

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Fulton Hogan more than doubles profit

Construction firm Fulton Hogan has lifted its pre-tax interim profit by 144 per cent. Source: AAP

FULTON Hogan, the New Zealand privately-held construction firm, has more than doubled first-half pre-tax earnings with its five business units all running ahead of budget.

Pre-tax profit climbed 144 per cent to $NZ92.8 million ($A87.72 million) in the six months ended December 31, for a net profit of $NZ64m, the Christchurch-based company said on Monday.

Revenue was $NZ1.64 billion in the half. The forward order book was $NZ2.8b, down from the $NZ3.4b level it gave in October.

The New Zealand business was underpinned by a pick-up in the economy that's driven regional and infrastructure business, while the Australian sector was helped by increased airport work and the completion of six of seven distressed projects that had needed impairment charges in the past.

Managing director Nick Miller told BusinessDesk the slowing of Australian capital investment from the resources sector would flow through into Fulton Hogan's business, and the strong New Zealand dollar was also weighing on trans-Tasman earnings.

Still, a pipeline of large public-private partnerships has opened opportunities for Fulton Hogan in Australia.

"For us, the challenge and the opportunity, is one of scale" and the company would participate as part of a consortia for the projects, Mr Miller said.

"We're positioning Fulton Hogan to play to its strength as a key enabler to access that work."

Fulton Hogan will complete the last two tranches of $NZ117m in a share buyback to allow Shell Group to cash up out of the company.

Once that's completed, Fulton Hogan plans to accelerate a new phase of growth.

"At the completion of that (the Shell share buyback), Fulton Hogan is going to have a lot of available capital for the growth of the business," Mr Miller said.

Fulton Hogan retired $NZ138.9m of debt in the half, and refinanced some $NZ155m of banking facilities using its operational cash flow and the sale of some non-core assets, it said.

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PM says media laws may be relaxed

Malcolm Turnbull has tried to ease regional tensions over possible changes to media ownership laws. Source: AAP

PRIME Minister Tony Abbott wants to relax media ownership laws, potentially leading to greater consolidation across the sector.

But he is keen to avoid fights with powerful media barons.

"The media world has changed beyond recognition over the last couple of decades and it's important that regulation evolves to match the changing environment," Mr Abbott told reporters in Sydney on Monday.

"If and when we do seek to change regulation it will be in a deregulatory direction because that's the instinct of this government."

Any changes will be put out to wide industry and community consultation before becoming law, Mr Abbott said.

"We're not interested in picking unnecessary fights," he said.

"We're not interested in taking sides between one commercial operator and another."

Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull foreshadowed change at the weekend after meetings with media and telecommunication chiefs.

Among the laws being looked at are those currently preventing individual companies from owning a newspaper, commercial television licence and commercial radio licence in the same area.

Another law being examined prevents individual television networks broadcasting to more than 75 per cent of the population - the so-called 'reach rule'.

Mr Turnbull moved on Monday to allay fears among Nationals and regional Liberal MPs that local news content may end up diminished.

"Local content is a separate issue to the question of ownership," he told ABC Radio.

Speaking at the weekend, Mr Turnbull questioned if existing restrictions are relevant in the internet age.

"Why do we need to have platform-specific ownership rules dealing with newspapers, radio and television?" he asked on Sky News.

"My view is that the arrival of the internet, and the additional diversity and avenues for competition that it brings, really says we should have less regulation and more freedom."

The relaxation of media ownership laws could lead to a series of mergers with leading newspapers potentially joining forces with television networks.

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Pilot’s final call to missing plane

Two Brisbane couples and another two Australians are among 239 people missing on a Malaysia Airlines flight.

Missing plane ... Malaysia Airlines flight 370 was bound for Beijing and has vanished. Source: Supplied

• Beijing-bound flight from Kuala Lumpur
• 239 passengers missing, including six Australians
• DFAT hotline: 1300 555 135 or 02 6261 3305
• See full passenger manifest
• Two passengers 'boarded on stolen passports'

ANOTHER pilot who was flying ahead of the missing Malaysia Airlines plane has revealed he made contact with aircraft minutes after he was asked to do so by Vietnamese air traffic control.

The captain, who requested to remain anonymous, told Malaysian media outlets his plane, which was bound for Narita, Japan, was inVietnamese airspace when he was asked to contact the pilot flying the missing plane.

In using his plane's emergency frequency, he was asked to try and establish its position after authorities failed to make contact.

"We managed to establish contact with MH370 just after 1.30am and asked them if they have transferred into Vietnamese airspace," he told the New Straits Times.

"The voice on the other side could have been either Captain Zaharie or Fariq, but I was sure it was the co-pilot.

"There were a lot of interference... static... but I heard mumbling from the other end.

"That was the last time we heard from them, as we lost the connection," he said."

First officer Fariq ab Hamid ... who was on the missing aircraft. Source: Facebook

He said those on the same frequency at the time would have heard him, including vessels on the waters below.

He said he thought nothing of losing contact at first, as it was was normal, until the plane never landed in Beijing.

"If the plane was in trouble, we would have heard the pilot making the Mayday distress call. But I am sure that, like me, no one else up there heard it.

"Following the silence, a repeat request was made by the Vietnamese authorities to try establishing contact with them."

The new details come as the lcation of the plane remains a mystery.

Oil slicks were spotted today, which could possibly lead officials to where it landed.

As family and friends wait for news, a Malaysian aviation authority official told the media this morning their search had been unsuccessful so far.

"We have not been able to locate anything, see anything," he said.

Today, the Department of Civil Aviation will extend the search and rescue operation to the Straits of Malacca, as Malaysian authorities are now awaiting the latest satellite imagery for any signs of wreckage from flight MH370.

The airline also said one of its teams has already arrived in Beijing to meet with familes of the passengers. It will also set up a command center at Kota Bharu, Malaysia or Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam as soon as the location of the aircraft is established and "make the necessary arrangements".

Members of a special assistance team ... from Malaysia arrive at a hotel room prepared for relatives or friends of passengers. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

The FBI is also deploying agents and technical experts to assist and help review video from the Kuala Lumpur airport for images of departing passengers that can be checked in the bureau's vast counter-terrorism database.

At least three US citizens, and an infant who could be a US citizen, were on board the plane.

"This gives us entree'' to the case, the official said, speaking confidentially because the FBI investigation is just beginning. "But so far what happened is a mystery.''

US officials said they are looking at whether this could be terrorism, as they would with any plane crash until proved otherwise.

As Malaysian Airlines released more information about passengers on board the plane, it emerged that two passengers were travelling on stolen passports.

Luigi Maraldi, 27, was listed as the sole Italian national aboard the missing flight, but according to his father, was not on the plane.

"Luigi called us early this morning to reassure us he was fine, but we didn't know about the accident," Walter Maraldi told NBC News. "Thank God he heard about it before us."

The name of an Austrian citizen, Christian Kozel, 30, also appeared on the passenger manifest, but the European nation's foreign ministry stated that the man was safe back home, and that his passport had been stolen.

Officials from Italy and Austria confirmed that the travel documents of both men were reported stolen in Thailand.

EXPERTS EXAMINE: HOW COULD THIS PLANE DISAPPEAR?

AUSTRALIANS ON BOARD FLIGHT MH370

Six Australians including two couples from Queensland and one couple from New South Wales are missing and feared dead.

They are among the 239 people on board the Malaysia Airlines flight that has not been found yet.

Brisbane couples Rodney and Mary Burrows, and Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes are believed to be friends travelling together.

"Dad phoned this morning and said 'Bobby's plane's missing','' said Robert Lawton's brother David.

"I couldn't believe it. I still can't believe it.

"We just want to know where it is, where the plane's come down, if there's anything left."

Cathy and Bob Lawton are kindly neighbours, doting grandparents and adventurous spirits who have long roamed the world, according to friends and family of the Brisbane couple.

Family who had gathered at a Burrows family home yesterday waiting for news saidthey were too upset to speak.

The Burrows lived in the quiet Brisbane suburb of Middle Park, where neighbours last night described the tragic loss of two soul mates who always put family first.

"They are lovely people," said Don Stokes.

"They were excited about the trip.

Fellow neighbour Mandy Watt added: "They were all about the kids. The kids had moved on... they're all successful, all happy. This was their time."

The couple from Sydney have been identified as Li Yuan and Gu Naijun. Their last known address is a peaceful townhouse in a complex on the northern tip of the Sutherland Shire, where Boeings and Airbuses criss-cross in the skies above. Mr Li is believed to own the Metro petrol station in Miranda.

Perth-based father-of-two Paul Weeks, originally from New Zealand, was also among the 239 passengers and crew feared dead.

Perth-based father Paul Weeks, originally from New Zealand, is also missing. Source: Supplied

Mary and Rodney Burrows ... who were also on the Malaysia Airlines plane. Source: Supplied

The 39-year-old, who lives in Perth's north-eastern suburbs with his young family, was on his way to do his first shift as part of a fly in-fly out job in Mongolia.

It was meant to be the start of a dream job for the mechanical engineer.

Last night his wife Danica spoke to The Sunday Times from their home and said she was trying to come to grips with the tragic news.

The couple have a three-year-old son named Lincoln and a 10-month-old called Jack.

Mr Weeks is originally from New Zealand and moved to WA in 2011 to work in the mining industry.

According to his online job resume, he had been working with MTU Detroit Diesel Australia in WA.

He had previously worked for the New Zealand army for about six years.

Mr Weeks was listed as one of two New Zealand passengers despite his ties to Australia. The Sunday Times also understands the brother of a Perth woman was on the flight.

On board the flight ... Catherine and Robert Lawton of Springfield Lakes. Picture: Facebook Source: Facebook

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman said it was looking grim.

"But let's hold out hope for some sort of miracle," he said. "Our hearts and thoughts are with the families of all nationalities, but of course our Queensland friends.

"It doesn't look good."

Prime Minister Tony Abbott also said he would consider how we could assist with the search and rescue mission underway but would not speculate on the plane's disappearance.

Mr Abbott described the tragedy as a "horrible, horrible business''.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the passengers and their families on that ill-fated aircraft, particularly to the six Australian passengers and their families, that have now been confirmed to be on board,'' he told reporters in Adelaide.

"We're looking at ways in which we can help with the search and recovery operation.''

Opposition leader Bill Shorten echoed Mr Abbott's comments.

"I believe the Australian nation's thoughts go out to the families of those Australians and New Zealanders that are on this plane, and indeed the families of everyone,'' he said.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said the government "fears the worst" for those aboard the flight, and that they had so far confirmed the names of six Australians on the flight's passenger manifest.

"Our sympathies are with the families and friends of these Australians. We also extend our condolences to the families of the other passengers and to the governments of all those countries affected, in particular China, Indonesia and Malaysia who had significant numbers of nationals on this flight.

"Australian consular officials are in urgent and ongoing contact with Malaysia Airlines. Malaysia Airlines has advised that it is contacting relatives of the passengers on the flight."

The airline has established a call centre – phone +60 37884 1234 – for those seeking more information.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's 24 hour Consular Emergency Centre is contactable on 1300 555 135, or +61 2 6261 3305 (if calling from overseas).

MORE: TIMELINE OF HOW THE PLANE VANISHED

WHO ELSE WAS ON BOARD AS PLANE LOST CONTACT

The Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, a Boeing 777-200 aircraft, lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control at 5.40am (AEST).

"The flight was carrying 227 passengers (including two infants), 12 crew members," the airline said in a statement.

Malaysia Airlines said the passengers were from 14 different countries and has released the full passenger list with the names, nationalities and ages of those on board.

A total of 153 passengers were Chinese nationals. The airline also reported 38 passengers from Malaysia, 12 from Indonesia, three from France, two from New Zealand, four from the USA, two from Ukraine, two Canadians, two Russians, one Italian, one from Taiwan, one from the Netherlands and one from Austria.

However two passengers on the plane appear to have used stolen Austrian and Italian passports to board.

Waiting for news ... Chrisman Siregar, right, shows a portrait of his son Firman who was one of the passengers on board the Malaysia Airlines plane. Picture: AP Source: AP

Today, a Texas-based semiconductor firm said that 20 of its employees were confirmed passengers on board.

A total of 12 people from Malaysia and another eight from China were on the flight, Freescale Semiconductor president and CEO Gregg Lowe said.

"At present, we are solely focused on our employees and their families," he added in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by this tragic event.

"The entire Freescale Semiconductor community is deeply saddened by this news. The company is continuing to monitor the situation and will provide more information as it becomes available," the Austin, Texas-based firm said.

After being unable to locate the plane for more than 24 hours, Malaysia Airlines has released a statement saying: "Immediate families of passengers are advised to gather at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Travel arrangements and expenses will be borne by Malaysia Airlines. Once, the whereabouts of the aircraft is determined, Malaysia Airlines will fly members of the family to the location.

"Our sole priority now is to provide all assistance to the families of the passengers and our staff. "We are also working closely with the concerned authorities in the search and rescue operation. "The families may contact +603 7884 1234."

OIL SLICKS DETECTED PROVIDE POSSIBLE CLUE

Vietnamese air force planes have spotted two large oil slicks that authorities suspect are from the missing Malaysian jetliner.

The slicks were spotted off the southern tip of Vietnam, a government statement says.

The slicks were each between 10km and 15km long.

The statement says the slicks are consistent with the kinds that would be left by fuel from a crashed jetliner.

Hours after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared from radar screens en route to Beijing, the rumour mill was swirling.

Officials were forced to deny reports that the plane had landed in southern China, saying they were simply untrue.

The Vietnamese air force have spotted two large oil slicks that authorities suspect are from a missing jet.

PLANE CRASH THEORIES CONTINUE

They also said reports that the plane had crashed of the South Vietnamese coast had not been confirmed, nor could they rule out a terrorist attack or a complete loss of fuel.

The Vietnamese Navy claimed its military radar had recorded the plane crashing into the sea about 250km south of Phu Quoc Island, a popular Vietnamese tourist resort near Cambodia. That, too, remained unconfirmed.

Another report claimed the plane had suddenly plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost. Aviation experts say this could have been due to a catastrophic engine failure, the pilots taking evasive action to avoid another aircraft, or an explosion.

But late into the night airline officials were still saying they simply did not know what had happened.

Raw ... in Beijing, a woman in tears is helped by airport workers to a bus waiting for relatives of the missing passengers. Picture: Han Guan Ng Source: AP

What is known is that three hours and 40 minutes afte takeoff the flight ceased all contact with air traffic control near Ca Mau province in southern Vietnam.

Since then, no emergency message nor distress beacon has been heard.

"Normally, with a situation on a flight, they have time to check systems, activate emergency beacons, talk to other aircraft nearby and air traffic control," Adam Susz from the the Australian and International Pilots Association said.

"The thing about this type of incident is it seems to happen instantly.

"That's probably the last thing we want to hear is that it is a very sudden and unexpected sign."

Mr Susz said aircrafts were normally in constant communication with air traffic control, typically every 30 to 60 minutes, either by satellite or VHF.

Chinese and Thai authorities said the Boeing 777-200 did not enter their airspace.

The world waits ... A spokesperson, right, from the Malaysia Airlines speaks to the media at a hotel in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

FRIENDS, RELATIVES LASH OUT AT AIRLINE

Tearful and angry, the friends and relatives of passengers on board missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have lashed out at the company as journalists besieged them in a Beijing hotel.

Many were taken there by the airline after going to the Chinese capital's airport to meet the flight, scheduled to land at around 6.30am.

A press conference was expected at the same location, and when others arrived later, they had to run the gauntlet of scores of Chinese and international reporters shoving microphones and cameras in their faces.

"They should have told us something before now," said one visibly distressed man in his 30s, from the Chinese city of Tianjin.

A man in his 20s struggled to help a grieving older woman, possibly his mother, into a quiet room as journalists shouted questions at her.

Some Chinese relatives of the passengers on board a Malaysian Airlines flight that went missing off of Vietnam are angry over what they say was the airline's initial lack of response. Mana Rabiee reports.

"They are useless," he said of the airline. "I don't know why they haven't released any information. We waited for four hours and all they told us was the very few details they released at the media conference."

Fighting back tears, a 20-year-old woman who had gone to the airport to meet a college friend said the passenger's family still had not been told by the airline she was on board.

Scores of family members spoke to airline officials in small groups in a room on the hotel's second floor.

Security at times struggled to hold back the huge throng of reporters crowding outside the door and making it difficult for relatives to enter or exit.

One woman in her twenties entered the room frantically crying, ignoring questions from the horde.

A man in his 60s wiped tears from his eyes with a handkerchief as he entered the room.

He hit a cameraman in the face who tried to film him as he walked by, as a security guard shouted "Don't you all have families?"

Grim news ... Malaysian Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya addresses the media near Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

Pham Hien, a Vietnamese search and rescue official, said the last signal detected from the plane was 120 nautical miles (225 kilometers) southwest of Vietnam's southernmost Ca Mau province, which is close to where the South China Sea meets the Gulf of Thailand.

Lai Xuan Thanh, director of Vietnam's civil aviation authority, said air traffic officials in the country never made contact with the plane.

The plane "lost all contact and radar signal one minute before it entered Vietnam's air traffic control,'' Lt. Gen. Vo Van Tuan, deputy chief of staff of the Vietnamese army, said in a statement issued by the government.

THE SEARCH AND RESCUE MISSION FOR MH370

As darkness fell and a major search and rescue operation was still under way off the Vietnamese coast.

An airline spokesman said: "We are still trying to locate the current location of the flight based on the last known position of the aircraft.

"We are working with the International search and rescue teams in trying to locate the aircraft.

"So far, we have not received any emergency signals or distress messages from MH370.

"We are working with authorities and assure that all sources are deployed to assist with the search and rescue mission."

Malaysia and Vietnam have launched searches for a missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

The South China Sea is a tense region with competing territorial claims that have led to several low-level conflicts, particularly between China and the Philippines. That antipathy briefly faded as nations of the region rushed to aid in the search, with China dispatching two maritime rescue ships and the Philippines deploying three air force planes and three navy patrol ships to help.

"In times of emergencies like this, we have to show unity of efforts that transcends boundaries and issues,'' said Lt. Gen. Roy Deveraturda, commander of the Philippine military's Western Command.

The ministry launched a rescue effort to find the plane, working in coordination with Malaysian and Chinese officials, the statement added.

Malaysian authorities dispatched a plane, two helicopters and four vessels to search seas off its east coast in the South China Sea, said Faridah Shuib, a spokeswoman for the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency.

The Philippines said it was sending three navy patrol boats and a surveillance plane to help efforts.

Yahoo News quoted local newspaper reports that the Vietnamese Navy said the plane went down into the sea about 153 miles south of Phu Quoc Island, just off the coast of the Vietnamese / Cambodian border.

Other media outlets reported that the Chinese Navy had deployed two vessels to the South China Sea to search for the missing plane.

The Pentagon has dispatched a naval destroyer and a surveillance plane to aid in the search for a Malaysia Airlines jet that has disappeared in waters off Vietnam.

US military officials said in a statement that the destroyer, the USS Pinckney, is currently en route to the southern coast of Vietnam to help search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

The vessel carries two helicopters which can be equipped for search and rescue, the Pentagon said.

The Pinckney already was conducting training and maritime security operations in international waters of the South China Sea.

It said the vessel could arrive in the area near where the missing aircraft is thought to have gone down within about 24 hours.

The US military statement said a P-3C Orion reconnaissance plane also will depart shortly from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan aiding the effort with additional long-range search, radar and communications capabilities.

Whatever happened to the flight, Indonesia-based independent aviation analyst Gerry Soejatman said the clock was ticking on a "24-hour golden window'' for search and rescue efforts.

"You can't assume that there are no survivors, and if there are any, it is absolutely crucial that they are picked up within a day, or the chances of survival drops significantly,'' he said.

Search and rescue under way ... a map of the Malaysia Airlines flight's approximate flight path to Beijing. Source: Supplied

China's state news agency reported that the Malaysia Airlines aircraft lost contact over Vietnam while an unconfirmed report on a flight tracking website said the aircraft had plunged 200m and changed course shortly before all contact was lost.

The route would have taken the plane across the Malaysian mainland in a north easterly direction and then across the Gulf of Thailand.

Grief ... A possible relative cries at the Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Chinese news agency Xinhua quoted Chinese aviation authorities saying the plane did not enter China's air traffic control sphere.

China's foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in a statement: "We are very concerned learning this news."

"We are contacting relevant authorities and are trying to confirm relevant information.''

The vice president of Malaysia Airlines told CNN that the missing plane had enough fuel for seven hours.

Mr Yahya said in a statement: "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts with flight MH370 which departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am earlier this morning bound for Beijing."

MORE: PLANE CRASHES THAT CHANGED AVIATION HISTORY

MORE: MAJOR AIR DISASTERS SINCE 2009

In shock ... A woman, center, surrounded by media covers her mouth on her arrival at a hotel which is prepared for relatives or friends of passengers aboard the missing plane, in Beijing. Picture: Andy Wong Source: AP

Recording the grief ... media hover over a possible relative of a passenger on the Malaysia Airlines flight. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

THE PILOT WHO WAS FLYING MH370

The pilot was 53 year old captain Zahari Ahmad Shah, who joined the airline in 1981 and had over 18,000 flying hours.

"Malaysia Airlines is currently working with the authorities who have activated their Search and Rescue team to locate the aircraft," Mr Yahya said..

"Focus of the airline is to work with the emergency responders and authorities and mobilise its full support.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all affected passengers and crew and their family members."

Fearing the worst ... Chinese police stand beside the arrival board showing the flight MH370 (top red) at Beijing Airport. Picture: Mark Ralston Source: AFP

Follow Malaysia Airlines on the incident on Facebook

Fuad Sharuji, Malaysian Airlines' vice president of operations control, told CNN that the plane was flying at an altitude of 10,670 metres and that the pilots had reported no problem with the aircraft.

Finding planes that disappear over the ocean can be very difficult. Aeroplane "black boxes'' - the flight data and cockpit voice recorders - are equipped with "pingers'' that emit ultrasonic signals that can be detected underwater.

Under good conditions, the signals can be detected from several hundred kilometres away, said John Goglia, a former member of the US National Transportation Safety Board. If the boxes are trapped inside the wreckage, the sound may not travel as far, he said. If the boxes are at the bottom of an underwater trench, that also hinders how far the sound can travel. The signals also weaken over time.

Air France Flight 447, with 228 people on board, disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean en route from Rio de Janiero to Paris on June 1, 2009. Some wreckage and bodies were recovered over the next two weeks, but it took nearly two years for the main wreckage of the Airbus 330 and its black boxes to be located and recovered.

The Malaysia Airlines plane, registration 9M MRO, is thought to have been a regular on routes to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Auckland.

A flight tracking website shows images of the plane descending at Kingsford-Smith airport in Sydney in 2010.

Showing the strain ... a Malaysian policeman stands guard outside a reception centre for family and friends at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana Source: AFP

THE MISSING MALAYSIA AIRLINES AIRCRAFT

Malaysia Airlines is the national carrier of Malaysia and one of Asia's largest, flying nearly 37,000 passengers daily to some 80 destinations worldwide.

Malaysia Airlines has 15 777 planes in the fleet and is an experienced operator of this type of aircraft.

Aviation Week reported that the missing plane was a 777-2H6ER with tail number 9M-MRO and serial number 28420. It had been built in 2002 and had been used by Malaysian Airlines since that time.

Fearing bad news ... a woman talks on the phone at a reception centre for families and friends of passengers at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Manan Vatsyayana. Source: AFP

The last major crash of Malaysia Airlines flight was in 1995, when a Fokker 50 (9M-MGH) crashed during approach in Tawau, Sabah, Malaysia, killing 34 people.

In 1977, a Malaysia Airlines flight was hijacked and crashed in Tanjung Kupang, Johor, Malaysia, killing all 100 people aboard.

The crash represents one of the biggest passenger losses in recent time and the second fatal accident involving a Boeing 777 in less than a year after an almost spotless record.

Last year, an Asiana Airlines Boeing 777 crash landed in San Francisco, killing three passengers with 200 people taken to hospital.

In 2005, during a flight from Perth to Kuala Lumpur the crew received a "stall warning" forcing the pilot to turn back.

Boeing said it was "monitoring" the situation.

Other accidents involving Malaysia Airlines planes include a fatal crash last October in Borneo Island, which claimed the lives of a copilot and passenger.

In 1977, a jet crashed in southern Malaysia, killing all 93 passengers and seven crew.

Commercial flight missing ... The image from @flightaware shows the last known track of flight MH370 over southern Asia. Picture: Flightaware.com Source: Supplied

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China to tighten rules against pollution

China says it will tighten environmental legislation and force polluters to pay compensation. Source: AAP

CHINA says it will tighten environmental legislation and force polluters to pay compensation following renewed blasts of toxic air.

The speaker of the ceremonial parliament Zhang Dejiang said in a report on Sunday that businesses were responsible for the environmental damage they caused and must be held to account. He said legal revisions were being prepared, but offered no specifics.

January saw air pollution density readings of PM 2.5 particles exceeding 500 micrograms per cubic meter, about 20 times as high as considered safe by the World Health Organisation.

China has repeatedly emphasised the need to control pollution, but has been reluctant to enforce even those paltry measures already announced, largely out of a fear of social disruption and increasing the burden on an already slowing economy.

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Happy leads singles chart for ninth week

Pharrell Williams' hit Happy holds the top spot in both the ARIA singles and albums charts. Source: AAP

IT didn't win the Oscar but Pharrell Williams' hit Happy still holds the top spot on the ARIA singles chart.

Williams' single, which features in the animated film Despicable Me 2, lost the Best Original Song Academy Award to Let It Go, from the movie Frozen, last Sunday, but Happy is in its ninth week at No.1.

Close behind the catchy tune is Clean Bandit and Jess Glynne's Rather Be, which remains in second place.

Sara Bareilles continued her rise on the charts, with her song Brave climbing three places to No.3, while David Guetta's Shot Me Down made its top 10 debut at No.4.

The French DJ's track, which features American singer-songwriter Skylar Grey, jumped up a whopping 23 places.

Say Something by A Great Big World and Undressed by Kim Cesarion each fell down a place to No.5 and No.6 respectively.

Sydney pop-punk quartet 5 Seconds of Summer's hit She Looks So Perfect also moved down the charts, falling four places to seventh place.

Cash Cash's Take Me Home remains in eighth place, while Swing by Melburnian Joel Fletcher fell two spots to No.9.

John Legend's All of Me slipped a place to round out the top 10.

On the ARIA albums chart, Aussie rockers INXS remain at No.1 for the fourth consecutive week with their collection The Very Best.

Pharrell Williams' new album G I R L, which the American rapper said was inspired by and is dedicated to women, made its top 10 debut at No.2, while Prism by Katy Perry, who was in Australia earlier in March, jumped up six places to No.3.

The pop singer was in town to promote her Prismatic World Tour, which kicks off in Australia on November 7 in Perth.

The Frozen soundtrack remains in fourth place, while Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars, who is currently touring the country, jumped up 19 places to No.5.

Also making significant leaps up the chart are Rudimental's Home, which climbed five places to seventh place, and Avicii's True, which rose eight places to No.8.

Robbie Williams' Swing Both Ways fell four places to No.6, while Australian church group Hillsong United made its top 10 debut with its new The White Album at No.9.

Eminem's The Marshall Mathers LP2 fell three places to round out the top 10 on the albums chart.

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