HMAS STIRLING NAVAL BASE, Australia: An Australian naval vessel carrying an underwater drone involved in the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 left yesterday on its second mission to scan part of the Indian Ocean where the longest sonar “ping” was heard over a month ago.
The Ocean Shield is heading to the area where a signal was first located and heard for some two hours on April 5, about 1,600km northwest of Perth to launch the Bluefin-21 submersible.
More than two dozen countries have been involved in the hunt for the Boeing 777 that disappeared from radar shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing with 239 people, mostly Chinese, on board in one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.
Weeks of daily sorties have failed to turn up any trace of the plane, even after narrowing the search to an arc in the southern Indian Ocean. Batteries on the black box voice and data recorders have gone flat. “What you do is you go look at your best indications and you pursue them until they’re exhausted,” US Navy Captain Mark Matthews said.
Manila probes diplomat
MANILA: The Philippine government said yesterday it was investigating a Filipina diplomat charged in Canada for alleged human trafficking involving the exploitation of her nanny.
“The (foreign affairs) department takes very seriously any allegations of misconduct of its employees. The department is conducting an inquiry into the matter,” its spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement to news agencies.
He said Buenaflor Cruz was formerly assigned to the Philippine embassy in Ottawa but had since been reassigned to the home office in Manila “as part of the department’s normal rotation.”
Canadian federal police said they laid charges Friday against the Filipina diplomat and her husband, Robert Cruz, for mischief, uttering threats, withholding their former nanny’s identification documents and human trafficking.
Philippines jails China fishermen
MANILA: The Philippines has jailed 11 Chinese fishermen caught with endangered sea turtles off a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, officials said yesterday, rejecting demands from China to free them.
The Philippine National Police on Tuesday intercepted a Chinese fishing boat carrying about 350 marine turtles off Half Moon Shoal in the Spratlys, arrested its crew and took them to the southwestern province of Palawan to face charges of violating wildlife protection laws.
If found guilty, the fishermen, transferred to a provincial jail late on Friday, face prison terms ranging from 12 to 20 years. But each can post bail of 150,000 pesos ($3,400) to secure temporary liberty while facing trial. Agencies
