Section: Indonesia
Unclear whether oil, objects found in sea linked to lost jet
An Indonesian helicopter searching for the missing AirAsia jetliner saw two oily spots in the water Monday, and an Australian search plane spotted objects elsewhere in the Java Sea, but it was too early to know whether either was connected to the aircraft and its 162 passengers and crew.In any case, officials saw little reason to believe AirAsia...
Russian ruble drops 7 percent as economy shrinks
The Russian currency extended its losses on Monday after a report showed the economy has started shrinking in annual terms for the first time since 2009 as the country is buffeted by falling oil prices and Western sanctions.Meanwhile, the government, which has been scrambling to support the ruble and the economy, announced fresh steps to keep the...
Aviation’s Deadly 2014, Yet Safety Record Improving
London. The loss of Indonesia AirAsia flight QZ8501 would cap one of the deadliest years in civil aviation for almost a decade — yet experts say the industry’s underlying safety record is improving. The statistics underscore a year of tragic contrasts dominated by two Malaysian catastrophes and a handful of weather-related incidents, yet a...
Indonesian official: Prospects bleak for missing jet
Search planes and ships from several countries on Monday were scouring Indonesian waters over which an AirAsia jet carrying 162 people disappeared, and more than a day into the region’s latest aviation mystery, officials doubted there could be anything but a tragic ending.AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished Sunday in airspace thick with storm...
Search expands for missing AirAsia passenger jet
The search for a missing AirAsia jet carrying 162 people that disappeared more than 24 hours ago on a flight from Indonesia to Singapore expanded Monday with planes and ships from several countries taking part.First Admiral Sigit Setiayana, the Naval Aviation Center commander at the Surabaya air force base, said that 12 navy ships, five planes,...
Jet carrying 162 lost over stormy Indonesian waters
Several hours of searching Indonesian waters turned up no sign of an AirAsia plane that disappeared Sunday with 162 people on board in airspace possibly thick with dense storm clouds, strong winds and lightning, officials said.Aircraft searching for AirAsia Flight 8501 called off the effort for the night and will resume at Monday morning, said...
Missing flight is 3rd Malaysia-linked incident
The disappearance Sunday of AirAsia Flight 8501 was the third air incident this year involving Malaysia, where budget carrier AirAsia in based. Here’s a look at the two other disasters, as well as the latest missing flight, which went missing with 162 people aboard less than an hour after taking off from Surabaya, Indonesia, for...
Russia’s Putin scraps New Year’s holidays for ministers
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday scrapped New Year’s holidays for government ministers because of the unfolding economic crisis.Russian company employees throughout the country are entitled to holiday from Jan. 1 to Jan. 12 when Russians celebrate the New Year, the main holiday in Russia, as well as Orthodox Christmas on Jan....
Pope wishes Christmas hope and peace for Mideast
Pope Francis is focusing his attention on all those weeping in the world this Christmas, singling out the refugees, hostages and all those suffering in conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and Ukraine.On a day that brings joy to little ones in much of the world, Francis expressed anguish for children who are victims of violence, including the...
Russia: NATO pushed Kiev to drop nonaligned status
NATO members pushed Ukraine toward dropping its nonaligned status, Russia claimed Wednesday, and also criticized the alliance for expanding its military presence near Russian borders.Ukraine’s parliament abandoned the nonaligned position Tuesday, possibly paving the way for a bid to join NATO, in defiance of Russia’s protests.The move...
