Wednesday 31 December 2014
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Ceasefire violation in Samba, 1 BSF jawan dead, 4 Pak troopers killed in ... - Zee News
Jammu: In the second ceasefire violation in the past 24 hours, Pakistani Rangers on Wednesday fired on a BSF patrol party along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing a jawan and injuring another.
There was heavy firing by Pakistan on a patrolling party of BSF along IB in Suchtegarh forward belt in Samba sector, Inspector General, BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma was quoted as saying by the PTI.
The Border Security Force (BSF), however, retaliated heavily to firing from the Pakistani side. Sources claimed that four Pakistan soldiers have also been killed in the retaliatory firing by the BSF. Firing is still on in the area, the sources added.
However, after the violation Pakistan called for ceasefire at Samba sector while holding meeting with the Indian side, say reports.
Meanwhile, Lt General Subrata Saha today warned that at least 150-170 militants trained in Pakistan are waiting to cross into the Indian side of the border. Lt Gen Saha said that heavy snowfall and inclement weather in the region is further aiding these militants to slip into the Indian side.
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had yesterday asked the security forces to give a befitting reply to unprovoked firing from the Pakistan side.
Reacting to reports of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor sector, Parrikar said that India should not hold back and retaliate double.
"The numbers of ceasefire violations across LoC have reduced as compared to last year, but they have increased across international border. I say don't hesitate, but react appropriately without holding back; retaliate double," Parrikar said.
There have been several ceasefire violations by Pakistan in recent days and this was fifth case in the past week.
"Pakistan troops resorted to firing on forward posts along LoC in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district around late Tuesday afternoon," a defence spokesperson was quoted as saying by the ANI.
Sepoy Amarjeet Singh was injured in the firing. He has been hospitalised. "Indian troops guarding the LoC gave a befitting reply to to Pakistani firing," the spokesperson said.
Pakistani troops had Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, Pakistani Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
A day earlier, on December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
As per a government report, fourteen civilians and five security personnel were killed in 555 ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces this year in Jammu and Kashmir.
The largest number of 405 violations took place along the international border that is under the operational control of the Border Security Force (BSF), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier told Parliament.
Of these, 344 violations were reported from the Jammu sector and 61 from the Indreshwar-Nagar sector, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha.
The 405 violations along the international border were a steep rise from the 148 ceasefire breaches in 2013 and just 11 and 21 in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Similar violations this year along the Line of Control (LoC) and the section of the international border controlled by the army stood at 150, the minister said. This was a slight drop from the 199 violations of 2013. The figures were 51 in 2011 and 93 in 2012.
The minister said 14 civilians and five security personnel were killed in the Pakistani firing this year till Nov 30. There were no deaths of civilians in 2011 and 2013 while four civilians died in 2012.
The number of security personnel killed on the border in cross-border firing and other tactical incidents was five in 2011 and 2012 each and 12 in 2013, Parrikar said.
(With Agency inputs)
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'Terrorists' wear skullcap in mock drill, sparks war of words - Zee News
Surat: Surat Police courted controversy when it made dummy terrorists wear skullcaps during an anti-terror mock drill.
The incident came under criticism today with the Congress mounting attack on the government claiming it an "administrative failure" and a Gujarat BJP's minority wing leader saying "terrorism should never be linked to a particular religion", even as police defended the action.
The drill was conducted in Dobari coastal region in Olpad town of Surat to check preparedness of the force is case of a terror attack. A video of the drill shows five policemen holding three dummy terrorists who are wearing skull caps.
The trio are also shown lying down, while policemen keep a watch on them. The video ends with the men posing as "terrorists" being bundled into a police jeep after being "captured" alive.
Responding to the incident, Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said, "Unfortunately the hallmark, the identity of this government is fast becoming a government which is using symbolic gestures, images, comments to create division... It is marked by intolerance which is another reason why it's a failure. It's a failed administration."
BJP leader and Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, however, denied the Congress charges and said, "It's been six months that we have come. Before that the Congress was in government for the past 10 years. There is a need to ask who has given every Muslim an identity of Al-Qaida... Congress, which had massacred Sikhs, is doing the same with the Muslims for its political gains... We do not want to get involved in this argument."
Gujarat BJP's Minority Cell President Mehboob Ali Sufi Baba strongly objected to the portrayal of "terrorists" in this manner, though Surat Police defended their action.
When contacted Surat Superintendent of Police (Rural) Pradeep Sejul said it should be taken as a "pretty normal thing".
"The incident occurred during our anti-terror mock drill conducted over the last five days. We keep changing get- ups in our mock drills. Those were our boys, who were shown wearing skull-caps. Sometimes, they wear jeans, sometimes T-shirts and sometimes this get-up also," he told PTI.
"This should not be taken as stereotyping a community or given any kind of communal colour. It should be taken as a pretty normal thing," added Sejul.
At the same time the police officer added that an inquiry will be conducted into the matter.
BJP leader Baba said terrorism should never be linked to a particular religion. "In the past, no terrorist wearing skull cap attacked our country. This type of act sends a wrong message to the masses and is also harmful for the unity and integrity of our country," Baba said.
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AirAsia: Body with life jacket hints plane had time before it hit water - Times of India
SURABAYA/JAKARTA: A body recovered on Wednesday from the crashed AirAsia plane was wearing a life jacket, an official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency said, raising questions about how the disaster unfolded.
Seven bodies have been recovered from the sea, some fully clothed, which could indicate the Airbus A320-200 was intact when it hit the water. That would support a theory that it suffered an aerodynamic stall.
The fact that one person put on a life jacket would appear to indicate those on board had at least some time before the aircraft hit the water, or after it hit the water and before it sank.
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"The fact that the debris appears fairly contained suggests the aircraft broke up when it hit the water, rather than in the air," said Neil Hansford, a former pilot and chairman of consultancy firm Strategic Aviation Solutions.
A relative shows a photo of four members of a family who were passengers of AirAsia Flight 8501, at the crisis center at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. (AP photo)
And yet the pilots did not issue a distress signal. The plane disappeared after it failed to get permission to fly higher to avoid bad weather because of heavy air traffic.
"This morning, we recovered a total of four bodies and one of them was wearing a life jacket," Tatang Zaenudin, an official with the search and rescue agency, told Reuters.
He declined to speculate on what the find might mean.
Members of the Indonesia marines unload their diving equipment as they arrive at Pangkalan Bun air base in Central Kalimantan on December 31, 2014, to join the operation to find the missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501. (AFP photo)
Hernanto, head of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said rescuers believed they had found the plane on the sea bed with a sonar scan in water about 30 to 50 metres (100 to 165 feet) deep. The black box flight data and cockpit voice recorder has yet to be found.
Authorities in Surabaya were making preparations to receive and identify bodies, including arranging 130 ambulances to take victims to a police hospital and collecting DNA from relatives.
"We are praying it is the plane so the evacuation can be done quickly," Hernanto said.
Most of the people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.
Republic of Singapore Air Force personnel survey the waters during a search and locate operation for the missing AirAsia QZ8501 plane at an undisclosed search area. (Reuters photo)
Officials said waves two to three metres (six to nine feet) high and winds were hampering the hunt for wreckage and preventing divers from searching the crash zone.
"The fact that the debris appears fairly contained suggests the aircraft broke up when it hit the water, rather than in the air," said Neil Hansford, a former pilot and chairman of consultancy firm Strategic Aviation Solutions.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his priority was retrieving the bodies.
Widodo, speaking in Surabaya on Tuesday after grim images of the scene in the Java Sea were broadcast on television, said AirAsia would pay an immediate advance of money to relatives, many of whom collapsed in grief when they saw the television pictures from the search.
A crew member of Indonesian navy's CN-235 airplane prays prior to the start of a search operation for the missing AirAsia Flight QZ8501 at the airport in Pangkal Pinang, Bangka Island, Indonesia, on December 30, 2014. (AP photo)
AirAsia chief executive Tony Fernandes has described the crash as his "worst nightmare".
About 30 ships and 21 aircraft from Indonesia, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea and the United States have been involved in the search.
Singapore said it was sending two underwater beacon detectors to try to pick up pings from the black boxes, which contain cockpit voice and flight data recorders.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo (C) addresses the media after meeting with family members of passengers onboard the missing Malaysian air carrier AirAsia flight QZ8501, at the Juanda International Airport in Surabaya on December 30, 2014. (AFP photo)
BAD WEATHER
The plane was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet. When air traffic controllers granted permission for a rise to 34,000 feet a few minutes later, they received no response.
Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.
Investigators are focusing initially on whether the crew took too long to request permission to climb, or could have ascended on their own initiative earlier, said a source close to the inquiry, adding that poor weather could have played a part as well.
A Qantas pilot with 25 years of experience flying in the region said the discovery of the debris field relatively close to the last known radar plot of the plane pointed to an aerodynamic stall. One possibility is that the plane's instruments iced up, giving the pilots inaccurate readings.
The Indonesian captain, a former air force fighter pilot, had 6,100 flying hours under his belt and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, said the airline, which is 49 percent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia.
Three airline disasters involving Malaysian-affiliated carriers in less than a year have dented confidence in the country's aviation industry and spooked travellers.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing in March on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew and has not been found. On July 17, the same airline's Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
On board Flight QZ8501 were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain. The co-pilot was French.
The AirAsia group, including affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India, had not suffered a crash since its Malaysian budget operations began in 2002.
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Ceasefire violation in Samba, 1 BSF jawan dead, 4 Pak troopers killed in ... - Zee News
Jammu: In the second ceasefire violation in the past 24 hours, Pakistani Rangers on Wednesday fired on a BSF patrol party along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing a jawan and injuring another.
There was heavy firing by Pakistan on a patrolling party of BSF along IB in Suchtegarh forward belt in Samba sector, Inspector General, BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma was quoted as saying by the PTI.
The Border Security Force (BSF), however, retaliated heavily to firing from the Pakistani side. Sources claimed that four Pakistan soldiers have also been killed in the retaliatory firing by the BSF. Firing is still on in the area, the sources added.
However, after the violation Pakistan called for ceasefire at Samba sector while holding meeting with the Indian side, say reports.
Meanwhile, Lt General Subrata Saha today warned that at least 150-170 militants trained in Pakistan are waiting to cross into the Indian side of the border. Lt Gen Saha said that heavy snowfall and inclement weather in the region is further aiding these militants to slip into the Indian side.
Union Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had yesterday asked the security forces to give a befitting reply to unprovoked firing from the Pakistan side.
Reacting to reports of ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops in Jammu and Kashmir's Akhnoor sector, Parrikar said that India should not hold back and retaliate double.
"The numbers of ceasefire violations across LoC have reduced as compared to last year, but they have increased across international border. I say don't hesitate, but react appropriately without holding back; retaliate double," Parrikar said.
There have been several ceasefire violations by Pakistan in recent days and this was fifth case in the past week.
"Pakistan troops resorted to firing on forward posts along LoC in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district around late Tuesday afternoon," a defence spokesperson was quoted as saying by the ANI.
Sepoy Amarjeet Singh was injured in the firing. He has been hospitalised. "Indian troops guarding the LoC gave a befitting reply to to Pakistani firing," the spokesperson said.
Pakistani troops had Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, Pakistani Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
A day earlier, on December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
As per a government report, fourteen civilians and five security personnel were killed in 555 ceasefire violations by Pakistani forces this year in Jammu and Kashmir.
The largest number of 405 violations took place along the international border that is under the operational control of the Border Security Force (BSF), Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had earlier told Parliament.
Of these, 344 violations were reported from the Jammu sector and 61 from the Indreshwar-Nagar sector, the minister said in the Rajya Sabha.
The 405 violations along the international border were a steep rise from the 148 ceasefire breaches in 2013 and just 11 and 21 in 2011 and 2012 respectively.
Similar violations this year along the Line of Control (LoC) and the section of the international border controlled by the army stood at 150, the minister said. This was a slight drop from the 199 violations of 2013. The figures were 51 in 2011 and 93 in 2012.
The minister said 14 civilians and five security personnel were killed in the Pakistani firing this year till Nov 30. There were no deaths of civilians in 2011 and 2013 while four civilians died in 2012.
The number of security personnel killed on the border in cross-border firing and other tactical incidents was five in 2011 and 2012 each and 12 in 2013, Parrikar said.
(With Agency inputs)
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Dhoni keeps mum amid speculation all is not well in Indian dressing room - Times of India
SYDNEY: The Indian cricket team flew in here and largely spent the day indoors even as there was intense speculation over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit the Test format with immediate effect, which surprised the cricket fraternity.
In Pics: Dhoni's roller-coaster ride as Test captain
A day after the BCCI announced Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket, citing strains of playing in all three formats, the Indian team management chose to remain tight-lipped on the development.
Dhoni, who himself did not speak about his retirement in the post-match press conference and the preceding presentation ceremony, travelled with the team but did not interact with the media.
The 33-year old Dhoni's retirement came as a bolt from the blue as the Indian captain had not given any hint about his impending decision although pressure was mounting on him to give up Test captaincy in view of his poor overseas track record.
READ ALSO: 'Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to team'
The timing of Dhoni's retirement and the manner in which it was announced has triggered widespread speculation over what could have prompted him to take the decision.
There is speculation that all is not well in the Indian dressing room, which led the captain to quit Test cricket.
Fans of Dhoni exhort him to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
His decision invited criticism from former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who said, "the decision to give up captaincy was right though the decision not to play Test cricket is an incorrect one."
"I would be brutally honest that I am surprised by the decision in the middle of the series. Three Tests are over and it was a question of one more. He could have finished it off," Ganguly added.
"None of us know whether this decision in the middle of the series could have happened because of an injury, which would have ruled him out of the next Test. He did come into the series with a finger injury and none of us has an idea whether that had become worse," Ganguly said.
Many former cricketers had expressed surprise at Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket altogether.
"I was expecting him to step down from captaincy after the Sydney match but did not think he will retire as a player. I still think that he had two or three more years of cricket left in him," former captain Sunil Gavaskar had said.
A spate of overseas Test losses forced the 33-year-old captain to call it a day from the longer format after India's draw at the MCG, which did not save the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from staying with Australia. Gavaskar said the pressure of captaincy can sometimes get too much.
"In a captain's life sometimes the burden gets too heavy. This Test match (Melbourne game) was like that. There are times when you try everything and nothing works. And probably that time had come for Dhoni," Gavaskar said.
Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.
The criticism notwithstanding, Dhoni has become the Indian captain to score most runs in Tests, making 3454 runs, going past Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azharuddin (2856) and Ganguly (2561).
In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws to show. In the 90 Tests that he was part of, Dhoni scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six hundreds and 33 50s to his credit.
Dhoni did not play the first Test in the current series against Australia because of a thumb injury. In his absence, Kohli led the team and won accolades for his attacking approach.
Dhoni's rise was nothing short of meteoric and he took over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble in 2008 in 2013, he became the most successful Indian Test captain when he eclipsed Ganguly's record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.
His record in away Tests may be dismal, but Dhoni proved to be quite successful on home turf, leading the side to 21 wins in 30 Tests.
Meanwhile, the Australian media celebrated the fact that their country has become "a graveyard for the careers of visiting captains with Dhoni the latest skipper to end his leadership tenure after a mauling down under".
"The Aussies have long prided themselves on their ability to nullify the opposition captain, believing it is key to gaining a psychological advantage during a Test series," 'Herald Sun' wrote.
The newspaper cited example of England's Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, India's Anil Kumble and South Africa's Graeme Smith, who all ended their Test leadership after loss in Australia.
Meanwhile, Sydney Morning Herald speculated that Dhoni may not be in Sydney to see the baton formally passed to Virat Kohli with India contemplating sending the former captain home before the fourth Test.
"Dhoni travelled to Sydney with the Indian team a day after shocking the world with his Test retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to decide if he will remain with the squad," the newspaper wrote.
No longer part of India's Test set-up, Dhoni now has the opportunity to spend close to a fortnight at home to refresh before the tri-series and the World Cup.
After Tests, the tri-series, which also involves England will begin on January 18.
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4 Pakistan Rangers killed as BSF responds to truce violation - The Hindu
Retaliation forces the Pakistan side to wave white flags asking BSF to stop firing so that they can take away bodies of their soldiers.
Four Pakistan Rangers were killed in BSF’s retaliaton after a jawan of the force lost his life in heavy firing from the other side on a patrol on Wednesday along the International Border in Jammu and Kashmir’s Samba district.
The retaliation which forced the rangers to wave white flags came on a day when the government asked the Border Security Force to provide a “suitable and appropriate reply” for any unprovoked firing from across the India-Pakistan border.
Wednesday’s firing by Pakistan in which one jawan was also injured was the second ceasefire violation along the IB in the past 24 hours.
“We have retaliated effectively to the Pakistan firing, in which four Pakistan Rangers have been killed (opposite to Regal post) along the IB in Samba sector this evening,” Inspector-General, BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma told PTI in Jammu.
As Pakistan Rangers suffered casualties, they waved white flags asking BSF to stop the firing so that they can lift the bodies of its dead men, he said.
“Honouring their request we stopped the firing and allowed them to come to the border line and lift the bodies,” he said adding, “firing along the border line has now stopped“.
In the morning, Pakistan Rangers targetted a BSF patrol party by resorting to firing along the IB in Samba district.
There was heavy firing by Pakistan on a patrolling party of BSF along the IB in Suchtegarh forward belt in Samba sector, Mr. Sharam told PTI.
In the heavy firing, one BSF jawan was killed, the IG said, adding that the BSF troops were on routine patrol when they were attacked.
The deceased jawan has been identified as Constable Sri Ram Gowria, the IG said. Another jawan suffered minor injuries, reports said.
Mr. Sharma, who has rushed to the spot and supervising the operation, said BSF troops took positions, gave a befitting reply. There were also reports of firing in other areas in Kathua and Samba district.
Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asked the BSF to give a befitting reply when the paramilitary force’s Director-General D.K. Pathak briefed him about the prevailing situation in Jammu frontier.
“The Home Minister asked the DG, BSF to provide a suitable and appropriate reply for any such unprovoked firing,” an official statement released in Delhi said.
Mr. Pathak gave a detailed presentation to the Home Minister about the ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers in the Samba sector.
Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said the Indian security forces should not hold back in the face of firing and must retaliate with “double the force“.
Underlining that the the number of ceasefire violations across the LoC have reduced as compared to last year, Mr. Parrikar, however, noted that the violations have increased across the IB.
Asked what has been his direction to the security forces, Parrikar, who was interacting with defence journalists last night, said, “Our (NDA government) response is don’t hesitate. React appropriately without holding yourself back“.
He said that if there are any ceasefire violations, the Indian forces should retaliate “with double the force” and if there is an attack on Army posts, the terrorists need to be neutralised.
The Minister stressed that the Indian forces don’t violate ceasefire agreement but only respond to violations by Pakistani troops.
On Tuesday, Pakistan troops had resorted to firing on forward posts along the LoC in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district and Sepoy Amarjeet Singh was injured in the firing.
Pakistani troops had on Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, Pakistan Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
On December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the India-Pakista border witnessing the worst such escalation during August-October period which left 13 people dead and thousands displaced.
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Dhoni keeps mum amid speculation all is not well in Indian dressing room - Times of India
SYDNEY: The Indian cricket team flew in here and largely spent the day indoors even as there was intense speculation over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit the Test format with immediate effect, which surprised the cricket fraternity.
In Pics: Dhoni's roller-coaster ride as Test captain
A day after the BCCI announced Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket, citing strains of playing in all three formats, the Indian team management chose to remain tight-lipped on the development.
Dhoni, who himself did not speak about his retirement in the post-match press conference and the preceding presentation ceremony, travelled with the team but did not interact with the media.
The 33-year old Dhoni's retirement came as a bolt from the blue as the Indian captain had not given any hint about his impending decision although pressure was mounting on him to give up Test captaincy in view of his poor overseas track record.
READ ALSO: 'Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to team'
The timing of Dhoni's retirement and the manner in which it was announced has triggered widespread speculation over what could have prompted him to take the decision.
There is speculation that all is not well in the Indian dressing room, which led the captain to quit Test cricket.
Fans of Dhoni exhort him to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
His decision invited criticism from former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who said, "the decision to give up captaincy was right though the decision not to play Test cricket is an incorrect one."
"I would be brutally honest that I am surprised by the decision in the middle of the series. Three Tests are over and it was a question of one more. He could have finished it off," Ganguly added.
"None of us know whether this decision in the middle of the series could have happened because of an injury, which would have ruled him out of the next Test. He did come into the series with a finger injury and none of us has an idea whether that had become worse," Ganguly said.
Many former cricketers had expressed surprise at Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket altogether.
"I was expecting him to step down from captaincy after the Sydney match but did not think he will retire as a player. I still think that he had two or three more years of cricket left in him," former captain Sunil Gavaskar had said.
A spate of overseas Test losses forced the 33-year-old captain to call it a day from the longer format after India's draw at the MCG, which did not save the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from staying with Australia. Gavaskar said the pressure of captaincy can sometimes get too much.
"In a captain's life sometimes the burden gets too heavy. This Test match (Melbourne game) was like that. There are times when you try everything and nothing works. And probably that time had come for Dhoni," Gavaskar said.
Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.
The criticism notwithstanding, Dhoni has become the Indian captain to score most runs in Tests, making 3454 runs, going past Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azharuddin (2856) and Ganguly (2561).
In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws to show. In the 90 Tests that he was part of, Dhoni scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six hundreds and 33 50s to his credit.
Dhoni did not play the first Test in the current series against Australia because of a thumb injury. In his absence, Kohli led the team and won accolades for his attacking approach.
Dhoni's rise was nothing short of meteoric and he took over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble in 2008 in 2013, he became the most successful Indian Test captain when he eclipsed Ganguly's record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.
His record in away Tests may be dismal, but Dhoni proved to be quite successful on home turf, leading the side to 21 wins in 30 Tests.
Meanwhile, the Australian media celebrated the fact that their country has become "a graveyard for the careers of visiting captains with Dhoni the latest skipper to end his leadership tenure after a mauling down under".
"The Aussies have long prided themselves on their ability to nullify the opposition captain, believing it is key to gaining a psychological advantage during a Test series," 'Herald Sun' wrote.
The newspaper cited example of England's Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, India's Anil Kumble and South Africa's Graeme Smith, who all ended their Test leadership after loss in Australia.
Meanwhile, Sydney Morning Herald speculated that Dhoni may not be in Sydney to see the baton formally passed to Virat Kohli with India contemplating sending the former captain home before the fourth Test.
"Dhoni travelled to Sydney with the Indian team a day after shocking the world with his Test retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to decide if he will remain with the squad," the newspaper wrote.
No longer part of India's Test set-up, Dhoni now has the opportunity to spend close to a fortnight at home to refresh before the tri-series and the World Cup.
After Tests, the tri-series, which also involves England will begin on January 18.
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Dhoni keeps mum amid speculation all is not well in Indian dressing room - Times of India
SYDNEY: The Indian cricket team flew in here and largely spent the day indoors even as there was intense speculation over Mahendra Singh Dhoni's decision to quit the Test format with immediate effect, which surprised the cricket fraternity.
In Pics: Dhoni's roller-coaster ride as Test captain
A day after the BCCI announced Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket, citing strains of playing in all three formats, the Indian team management chose to remain tight-lipped on the development.
Dhoni, who himself did not speak about his retirement in the post-match press conference and the preceding presentation ceremony, travelled with the team but did not interact with the media.
The 33-year old Dhoni's retirement came as a bolt from the blue as the Indian captain had not given any hint about his impending decision although pressure was mounting on him to give up Test captaincy in view of his poor overseas track record.
READ ALSO: 'Dhoni got emotional after breaking news to team'
The timing of Dhoni's retirement and the manner in which it was announced has triggered widespread speculation over what could have prompted him to take the decision.
There is speculation that all is not well in the Indian dressing room, which led the captain to quit Test cricket.
Fans of Dhoni exhort him to reconsider his decision to quit Test cricket in Ranchi on Wednesday. (PTI Photo)
His decision invited criticism from former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly, who said, "the decision to give up captaincy was right though the decision not to play Test cricket is an incorrect one."
"I would be brutally honest that I am surprised by the decision in the middle of the series. Three Tests are over and it was a question of one more. He could have finished it off," Ganguly added.
"None of us know whether this decision in the middle of the series could have happened because of an injury, which would have ruled him out of the next Test. He did come into the series with a finger injury and none of us has an idea whether that had become worse," Ganguly said.
Many former cricketers had expressed surprise at Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket altogether.
"I was expecting him to step down from captaincy after the Sydney match but did not think he will retire as a player. I still think that he had two or three more years of cricket left in him," former captain Sunil Gavaskar had said.
A spate of overseas Test losses forced the 33-year-old captain to call it a day from the longer format after India's draw at the MCG, which did not save the Border-Gavaskar Trophy from staying with Australia. Gavaskar said the pressure of captaincy can sometimes get too much.
"In a captain's life sometimes the burden gets too heavy. This Test match (Melbourne game) was like that. There are times when you try everything and nothing works. And probably that time had come for Dhoni," Gavaskar said.
Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.
The criticism notwithstanding, Dhoni has become the Indian captain to score most runs in Tests, making 3454 runs, going past Gavaskar (3449), Mohammad Azharuddin (2856) and Ganguly (2561).
In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws to show. In the 90 Tests that he was part of, Dhoni scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with six hundreds and 33 50s to his credit.
Dhoni did not play the first Test in the current series against Australia because of a thumb injury. In his absence, Kohli led the team and won accolades for his attacking approach.
Dhoni's rise was nothing short of meteoric and he took over the Test captaincy from Anil Kumble in 2008 in 2013, he became the most successful Indian Test captain when he eclipsed Ganguly's record of 21 victories from 49 Tests.
His record in away Tests may be dismal, but Dhoni proved to be quite successful on home turf, leading the side to 21 wins in 30 Tests.
Meanwhile, the Australian media celebrated the fact that their country has become "a graveyard for the careers of visiting captains with Dhoni the latest skipper to end his leadership tenure after a mauling down under".
"The Aussies have long prided themselves on their ability to nullify the opposition captain, believing it is key to gaining a psychological advantage during a Test series," 'Herald Sun' wrote.
The newspaper cited example of England's Andrew Flintoff, Pakistan's Mohammed Yousuf, Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, India's Anil Kumble and South Africa's Graeme Smith, who all ended their Test leadership after loss in Australia.
Meanwhile, Sydney Morning Herald speculated that Dhoni may not be in Sydney to see the baton formally passed to Virat Kohli with India contemplating sending the former captain home before the fourth Test.
"Dhoni travelled to Sydney with the Indian team a day after shocking the world with his Test retirement, but the Board of Control for Cricket in India are yet to decide if he will remain with the squad," the newspaper wrote.
No longer part of India's Test set-up, Dhoni now has the opportunity to spend close to a fortnight at home to refresh before the tri-series and the World Cup.
After Tests, the tri-series, which also involves England will begin on January 18.
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Palestinians look to expand international voice after failed UN bid on peace ... - Washington Post
By Carol Morello and Ruth Eglash,
JERUSALEM — Palestinian leaders regrouped Wednesday over proposals to expand their international voice after falling just one vote short in a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Israel step up peace efforts and withdraw from occupied lands.
The U.N. measure sought to increase pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and mark another step toward possible Palestinian statehood.
But Tuesday’s vote was strongly opposed by the Obama administration, which favors a negotiated agreement rather than a forced pact or unilateral action by the Palestinians frustrated by the stalled peace process.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said top officials in the West Bank planned talks that could include setting a timetable to join more groups with global reach such as the International Criminal Court, where the Palestinians could pursue charges against Israel for alleged war crimes.
“There will be no more waiting, no more hesitation, no more slowdown,” Erekat said. “We are going to meet and make decisions.”
In Israel, the government released a statement Wednesday that called the unsuccessful resolution “completely one-sided” and said it lacked “the components that would advance a future agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”
“The failure of the Palestinian resolution must teach the Palestinians that provocation and attempts to impose unilateral measures on Israel will not achieve anything — to the contrary,” said Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The resolution called for Israelis and Palestinians to strike a peace deal within a year and for Israel to withdraw within three years to its borders before the 1967 war — in which Israel won control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
It also declared that East Jerusalem would be the capital of a Palestinian state, a more hard-line stance than an earlier version that described Jerusalem as a shared capital. It also demanded an end to Israeli settlement building.
The resolution fell one vote short of the nine necessary for passage, sparing the United States the need to wield its veto power as one of the council’s five permanent members.
In the days before the vote, Secretary of State John F. Kerry made a flurry of calls to 13 foreign ministers and leaders to express concern that a resolution would only deepen the conflict, U.S. officials said.
Still, the resolution won the backing of several U.S. allies including France and Jordan, which agreed to introduce the measure at the council after it was endorsed by 22 Arab nations.
Five of the 15 countries on the Security Council abstained from the vote, including Britain. Australia was the only country that joined the United States in voting against the resolution.
It remained unclear why the Palestinians wanted to have a vote before Thursday, when the council’s rotating membership changes to include at least two countries sympathetic to Palestinian statehood.
Foreign Minister Lieberman said Tuesday he believed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas insisted on it for political reasons, including trying to upstage Palestinian rival Hamas. The militant group, which controls Gaza, opposed the resolution as not going far enough.
Morello reported from Washington.
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Breaking News: Indonesian search and rescue official denies body recovered ... - Reuters
* Experts say plane likely intact when hit water
* Air search called off in bad weather
* Fleet of ambulances awaits retrieval of bodies
* Data shows plane climbed steeply before disappearing (Recasts after official says no body found wearing life jacket)
By Wilda Asmarini and Fergus Jensen
PANGKALAN BUN/SURABAYA, Indonesia, Dec 31 (Reuters) - The first two bodies from the AirAsia plane that crashed off the coast of Borneo arrived on Wednesday in the Indonesian city of Surabaya, where relatives have gathered to await news of their loved ones.
Rescuers believe they have found the plane on the sea floor off Borneo, after sonar detected a large, dark object beneath waters near where debris and bodies were found on the surface.
Ships and planes had been scouring the Java Sea for Flight QZ8501 since Sunday, when it lost contact during bad weather about 40 minutes into its flight from Surabaya to Singapore.
Seven bodies have been recovered from the sea, some fully clothed, which could indicate the Airbus A320-200 was intact when it hit the water. That would support a theory that it suffered an aerodynamic stall.
Tatang Zaenudin, an official with Indonesia's search and rescue agency, said earlier that one of the bodies found had been wearing a life jacket.
But he later said no victim had been recovered with a life jacket on.
"We found a body at 8.20 a.m. and a life jacket at 10.32 a.m. so there was a time difference. This is the latest information we have," he told Reuters.
Two bodies, in coffins bedecked with flowers and marked 001 and 002, arrived by an air force plane in Surabaya.
Most of the 162 people on board were Indonesians. No survivors have been found.
HUNT FOR "BLACK BOX"
Hernanto, head of the search and rescue agency in Surabaya, said rescuers believed they had found the plane on the sea bed with a sonar scan in water 30-50 metres (100-165 feet) deep.
The black box flight data and cockpit voice recorder have yet to be found.
Authorities in Surabaya were making preparations to receive and identify bodies, including arranging 130 ambulances to take victims to a police hospital and collecting DNA from relatives.
"We are praying it is the plane so the evacuation can be done quickly," Hernanto said.
Strong wind and waves hampered the search and with visibility at less than a kilometre (half a mile), the air operation was called off in the afternoon.
"We are all standing by," Dwi Putranto, heading the air force search effort in Pangkalan Bun on Borneo, told Reuters.
"If we want to evacuate bodies from the water, it's too difficult. The waves are huge and it's raining."
Indonesian President Joko Widodo said his priority was retrieving the bodies.
Relatives, many of whom collapsed in grief when they saw the first grim television pictures confirming their fears on Tuesday, held prayers at a crisis centre at Surabaya airport.
"UNBELIEVABLY" STEEP CLIMB
The plane was travelling at 32,000 feet (9,753 metres) and had asked to fly at 38,000 feet to avoid bad weather. When air traffic controllers granted permission for a rise to 34,000 feet a few minutes later, they received no response.
The pilots did not issue a distress signal.
A source close to the probe into what happened said that radar data appeared to show that AirAsia Flight QZ8501 made an "unbelievably" steep climb before it crashed, possibly pushing it beyond the Airbus A320's limits.
"So far, the numbers taken by the radar are unbelievably high. This rate of climb is very high, too high. It appears to be beyond the performance envelope of the aircraft," he said.
The source, who declined to be named, added that more information was needed to come to a firm conclusion.
Online discussion among pilots has centred on unconfirmed secondary radar data from Malaysia that suggested the aircraft was climbing at a speed of 353 knots, about 100 knots too slow, and that it might have stalled.
The Indonesian captain, a former air force fighter pilot, had 6,100 flying hours under his belt and the plane last underwent maintenance in mid-November, said the airline, which is 49 percent owned by Malaysia-based budget carrier AirAsia .
Three airline disasters involving Malaysian-affiliated carriers in less than a year have dented confidence in the country's aviation industry and spooked travellers.
Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing in March on a trip from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew and has not been found. On July 17, the same airline's Flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine, killing all 298 people on board.
On board Flight QZ8501 were 155 Indonesians, three South Koreans, and one person each from Singapore, Malaysia and Britain. The co-pilot was French.
The AirAsia group, including affiliates in Thailand, the Philippines and India, had not suffered a crash since its Malaysian budget operations began in 2002.
(Additional reporting by Gayatri Suroyo, Kanupriya Kapoor, Michael Taylor and Charlotte Greenfield in JAKARTA/SURABAYA, Jane Wardell in SYDNEY and Anshuman Daga in SINGAPORE; Writing by Mark Bendeich and Robert Birsel; Editing by Nick Macfie/Mike Collett-White/Susan Fenton)
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Israel thanks US for abstaining on security council resolution - Washington Post
By Carol Morello and Ruth Eglash,
JERUSALEM — Palestinian leaders regrouped Wednesday over proposals to expand their international voice after falling just one vote short in a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding Israel step up peace efforts and withdraw from occupied lands.
The U.N. measure sought to increase pressure on the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and mark another step toward possible Palestinian statehood.
But Tuesday’s vote was strongly opposed by the Obama administration, which favors a negotiated agreement rather than a forced pact or unilateral action by the Palestinians frustrated by the stalled peace process.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said top officials in the West Bank planned talks that could include setting a timetable to join more groups with global reach such as the International Criminal Court, where the Palestinians could pursue charges against Israel for alleged war crimes.
“There will be no more waiting, no more hesitation, no more slowdown,” Erekat said. “We are going to meet and make decisions.”
In Israel, the government released a statement Wednesday that called the unsuccessful resolution “completely one-sided” and said it lacked “the components that would advance a future agreement between Israel and the Palestinians.”
“The failure of the Palestinian resolution must teach the Palestinians that provocation and attempts to impose unilateral measures on Israel will not achieve anything — to the contrary,” said Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
The resolution called for Israelis and Palestinians to strike a peace deal within a year and for Israel to withdraw within three years to its borders before the 1967 war — in which Israel won control of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.
It also declared that East Jerusalem would be the capital of a Palestinian state, a more hard-line stance than an earlier version that described Jerusalem as a shared capital. It also demanded an end to Israeli settlement building.
The resolution fell one vote short of the nine necessary for passage, sparing the United States the need to wield its veto power as one of the council’s five permanent members.
In the days before the vote, Secretary of State John F. Kerry made a flurry of calls to 13 foreign ministers and leaders to express concern that a resolution would only deepen the conflict, U.S. officials said.
Still, the resolution won the backing of several U.S. allies including France and Jordan, which agreed to introduce the measure at the council after it was endorsed by 22 Arab nations.
Five of the 15 countries on the Security Council abstained from the vote, including Britain. Australia was the only country that joined the United States in voting against the resolution.
It remained unclear why the Palestinians wanted to have a vote before Thursday, when the council’s rotating membership changes to include at least two countries sympathetic to Palestinian statehood.
Foreign Minister Lieberman said Tuesday he believed that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas insisted on it for political reasons, including trying to upstage Palestinian rival Hamas. The militant group, which controls Gaza, opposed the resolution as not going far enough.
Morello reported from Washington.
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Government has enough of Pakistan's audacity as it asks BSF to reply to firing - Economic Times
NEW DELHI: The government today ordered the BSF to give a befitting reply to any unprovoked firing from Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir after a jawan was killed by the border guarding force of the neighbouring country.
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This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Director General, Border Security Force DK Pathak when the latter briefed him about the prevailing situation in Jammu frontier where Pakistani Rangers today fired on a BSF patrol party along the international border killing a jawan and injuring another.
"The Home Minister asked the DG, BSF to provide a suitable and appropriate reply for any such unprovoked firing," an official statement said.
The DG BSF gave a detailed presentation to the Home Minister about the ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pathak informed that one BSF jawan was killed in the unprovoked and premeditated Pakistani firing and the BSF retaliated effectively, in which three Pakistani Rangers were reportedly killed and some others injured.
He informed that firing stopped in the evening at the request of Pakistani Rangers for ceasefire by showing the white flag. He said the firing has stopped since then and the situation is totally under control.
Pakistani troops had on Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, Pakistani Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
On December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August-October period which left 13 people dead and thousands displaced.
After the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Pakistan has been taught a "befitting lesson" with the Army "shutting their mouth".
"Pakistan has got a befitting lesson. They will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth," he had said.
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Government has enough of Pakistan's audacity as it asks BSF to reply to firing - Economic Times
NEW DELHI: The government today ordered the BSF to give a befitting reply to any unprovoked firing from Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir after a jawan was killed by the border guarding force of the neighbouring country.
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This was conveyed by Home Minister Rajnath Singh to Director General, Border Security Force DK Pathak when the latter briefed him about the prevailing situation in Jammu frontier where Pakistani Rangers today fired on a BSF patrol party along the international border killing a jawan and injuring another.
"The Home Minister asked the DG, BSF to provide a suitable and appropriate reply for any such unprovoked firing," an official statement said.
The DG BSF gave a detailed presentation to the Home Minister about the ceasefire violations by Pakistan Rangers in the Samba sector of Jammu and Kashmir.
Pathak informed that one BSF jawan was killed in the unprovoked and premeditated Pakistani firing and the BSF retaliated effectively, in which three Pakistani Rangers were reportedly killed and some others injured.
He informed that firing stopped in the evening at the request of Pakistani Rangers for ceasefire by showing the white flag. He said the firing has stopped since then and the situation is totally under control.
Pakistani troops had on Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, Pakistani Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
On December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the Indo-Pak border witnessing the worst such escalation during August-October period which left 13 people dead and thousands displaced.
After the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in October, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said Pakistan has been taught a "befitting lesson" with the Army "shutting their mouth".
"Pakistan has got a befitting lesson. They will not dare to repeat it again. Our jawans have shut their mouth," he had said.
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Palestinians aim for International Criminal Court membership after failed UN vote - The Globe and Mail
Palestinian leaders will meet Wednesday to plan their next steps after the U.N. Security Council rejected a resolution to end Israel’s occupation and could set a date for applying to join the International Criminal Court, Palestinian officials said.
The U.N. vote Tuesday against the Palestinian bid, which called for the Israeli occupation to end within three years, was a blow to an Arab campaign for international action to bring about an independent Palestinian state.
The Palestinians long have vowed to join the International Criminal Court to press charges against Israel for alleged war crimes, though their membership could expose the Palestinians to similar accusations.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said officials would hold a “very serious meeting” Wednesday and could set a date for applying for membership to the court and other international agencies.
“There will be no more waiting, no more hesitation, no more slowdown,” Erekat said. “We are going to meet and make decisions.”
Frustrated by the moribund peace process, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank has pursued a more confrontational approach toward Israel and the U.S. by seeking broader international recognition for a Palestinian state. In 2012, the U.N. accepted Palestine as a non-member observer state. The Palestinians’ next step was the U.N. bid to set a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands seized in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, and Australia voted against Tuesday’s U.N. resolution. The U.S. has called for negotiations rather than an imposed timetable.
“I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the U.S. and Australia,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. He said he also received assurances from the Rwandan and Nigerian presidents that they would not support the resolution.
“They stood by their words and this is what tipped the scales,” Netanyahu said.
France and Luxembourg were among countries that voted in favour of the U.N. resolution, reflecting growing impatience, especially in Europe, over the lack of progress in more than two decades of on-again off-again peace talks.
Also Wednesday, two masked assailants threw a firebomb into a Palestinian home in a suspected Israeli attack in the southern West Bank village of Khirbet al-Karmil, Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The attack caused no casualties and the word “revenge” in Hebrew was found scrawled nearby, she said.
The attack comes after a firebomb attack last week on a car belonging to Jewish settlers in the West Bank. A young Israeli girl suffered serious burns and her father was lightly wounded in the attack. Israel says it arrested Palestinians who confessed to throwing the firebomb.
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AirAsia flight QZ8501: 8 theories that could explain the crash - Times of India
As Indonesian authorities continue retrieving the debris of AirAsia Flight QZ8501 we examine the theories surrounding the mysterious crash of the Airbus 320-200.
Flight QZ8501 disappeared on Sunday morning with 155 passengers and seven crew members on board.
Yesterday, an international search and rescue team discovered debris and bodies off the coast of Borneo - six miles from where the plane was last reported - later confirming the find as QZ8501.
1. Mid-air stall
The first, and perhaps likeliest, explanation for the crash is that a technical malfunction caused the pilot to accidentally stall the plane mid-air, a disaster that doomed an Air France passenger carrier in 2009.
The Air France crash over the Atlantic is believed to have been caused when an airspeed measurement tool called Pitot tubes froze - causing the pilot to believe they were travelling significantly faster than they actually were.
The "contained" dispersal of debris supports this theory, claims former US Marine Corps fighter pilot Steve Ganyard. Other experts have pointed towards ice, rather than a thunderstorm, being the cause of the aircraft stalling.
"Maybe it was in a stall, mushing to the ground at maybe 100, 150 mph," Mr Ganyard told Good Morning America. "It did not hit at a very high rate of speed, which would have dispersed lots of debris all over and we wouldn't see that shadow."
Other experts point out that the Air France flight was travelling at night - meaning the pilot was unable to see the horizon and estimate his speed - whereas the AirAsia aircraft came down during Sunday morning so the pilot would have been able to see the sun and track his speed, correcting any error before it became fatal.
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2. Small explosion
A small bomb may have gone off inside the aircraft, explaining its abrupt disappearance from radar screens - and the absence of distress signals in the moments before impact.
Former US Air Force pilot John Nance told ABC News: "Maybe one that wasn't strong enough to blow the airplane into pieces at altitude, but maybe one that blew the control cables from the hydraulics".
This theory has been contested by Mr Nance who claimed that an emergency of this kind (such as a fire for example) would have involved a distress call to air traffic control - which did not happen.
3. Human error - 'Thunderstorm factory'
The area where flight QZ8501 went down is reportedly avoided by veteran pilots because of its violent weather patterns - earning it the name the 'thunderstorm factor'.
Aviation expert Neil Hansford claimed someone "dropped the ball" when plotting the aircraft's course.
"You plan to go around it. You don't plan to go through it," he told Australia's Nine News.
Mr Hansford further claimed that a language barrier - the first officer spoke French while captain Iriyanto's first language was Bahasa - significantly contributed to the possible pilot error.
"I've said all along it was never going to be engineering," Mr Hansford claimed.
However, captain Iriyanto is reportedly an experienced former Air Force pilot who flew F-16 fighter jets and had clocked a respectable 20,537 hours of flying experience, 6,100 on an Airbus A320.
A relative shows a photo of four members of a family who were passengers of AirAsia Flight 8501, at the crisis center at Juanda International Airport in Surabaya. (AP photo)
4. Weather
Building on top of the previous theory is that the pilot asked air control for permission to climb higher, shortly before radio communication was lost. Aviation expert captain Mike Vivian told Sky News that storms can extend thousands of feet into the sky, and thunder clouds can cause serious damage to aircraft.
Despite this, pilots - especially in the area around Indonesia - are experienced at handling such conditions and passenger carriers are tested and proofed against adverse weather affecting the aircraft.
5. Catastrophic metal fatigue
The cycle of pressurisation and depressurisation associated with each takeoff and landing can contribute and cause what is known as catastrophic metal fatigue. The humidity of the local climate speeds up corrosion over the aircraft's 13,600 landing cycles.
But it is unlikely this was a contributory factor in the crash as the passenger carrier had only been in service for six years when it vanished.
6. Mechanical failure
There have been 26 crashes involving the A320 since it was introduced in 1988 - an average of one a year.
Even so, the Airbus A230 - known as the 'workhorse' of modern aviation - has a good safety record with only 0.14 fatal accidents per million take offs, according to a Boeing safety study. Aviation expert Gideon Ewers also told Sky News that the 26 crashes were caused by issues other than mechanical faults.
7. Murder-suicide
Another explanation may be a pilot murder-suicide. Mr Nance claimed this was the case in at least three other crashes in the past 20 years.
8. 'Black Hand'
The final theory, and a dubious one at that. A mysterious post on 15 December on a Chinese web forum went viral in the days immediately following the aircraft's disappearance after it appeared to warn people against travelling on AirAsia flights - as they were being targeted by 'Black Hand'.
'Black Hand' is believed to be a metaphor for covert organisations, operating underground, who previously have been linked to the disappearance of Malaysian Airline flight MH370.
After a flurry of activity, as hundreds of thousands read and discussed the original post, the user disappeared online on 17 December.
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4 Pakistan Rangers killed as BSF responds to truce violation - The Hindu
This is the second ceasefire violation in the past 24 hours and the sixth in the past over one week.
In the second ceasefire violation in the past 24 hours, Pakistan Rangers on Wednesday fired on a BSF patrol party along the International Border in Samba district of Jammu and Kashmir, killing a jawan and injuring another. Earlier, the BSF troops foiled an infiltration bid in the same disctrict.
There was heavy firing by Pakistan on a patrolling party of BSF along IB in Suchtegarh forward belt in Samba sector, Inspector-General, BSF, Jammu Frontier, Rakesh Sharma told PTI.
A BSF jawan was killed in the firing, the IG said, adding that troops were on routine patrol when the firing took place.
The deceased jawan has been identified as Constable Sri Ram Gowria. Another jawan suffered minor injuries.
Mr. Sharma, who has rushed to the spot and is supervising the operation, said BSF troops took positions and gave a befitting reply which resulted in exchanges which are going on.
There has been firing in other areas in Kathua and Samba also.
This is the second ceasefire violation in the past 24 hours and the sixth in the past over one week.
On Tuesday, Pakistan troops had resorted to firing on forward posts along the LoC in Pallanwala sector of Jammu district and Sepoy Amarjeet Singh was injured in the firing.
Pakistani troops had on Sunday violated the ceasefire twice along the border in Arnia forward belt of Jammu and Hiranagar belt of Kathua district.
On December 25, 2014, Pakistan Rangers indulged in unprovoked small arms firing in forward areas in Pansar border out post (BoP) belt of Hiranagar sub-sector in Kathua district.
On December 24, Pakistani troops had fired mortar shells and small arms targeting the same areas.
Over 550 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan took place this year, the highest since the truce came into force in 2003, with the India-Pakistan border witnessing the worst such escalation during August-October period which left 13 people dead and thousands displaced.
Infiltration bid foiled
Meanwhile, BSF troops foiled an infiltration bid along the border in Samba district.
A group of militants tried to enter into the Indian territory along International Border in forward belt of Samba sector late Tuesday night, a senior BSF officer said.
Alert troops of the BSF challenged them and opened fire following which they returned to the Pakistani side, he said.
Pakistan Rangers are pushing in armed militants into this side but alert troops are foiling their designs, he said.
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Palestinians aim for International Criminal Court membership after failed UN vote - The Globe and Mail
Palestinian leaders will meet Wednesday to plan their next steps after the U.N. Security Council rejected a resolution to end Israel’s occupation and could set a date for applying to join the International Criminal Court, Palestinian officials said.
The U.N. vote Tuesday against the Palestinian bid, which called for the Israeli occupation to end within three years, was a blow to an Arab campaign for international action to bring about an independent Palestinian state.
The Palestinians long have vowed to join the International Criminal Court to press charges against Israel for alleged war crimes, though their membership could expose the Palestinians to similar accusations.
Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said officials would hold a “very serious meeting” Wednesday and could set a date for applying for membership to the court and other international agencies.
“There will be no more waiting, no more hesitation, no more slowdown,” Erekat said. “We are going to meet and make decisions.”
Frustrated by the moribund peace process, the Palestinian leadership in the West Bank has pursued a more confrontational approach toward Israel and the U.S. by seeking broader international recognition for a Palestinian state. In 2012, the U.N. accepted Palestine as a non-member observer state. The Palestinians’ next step was the U.N. bid to set a timetable for an Israeli withdrawal from the West Bank and east Jerusalem, lands seized in the 1967 Arab-Israeli war.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, and Australia voted against Tuesday’s U.N. resolution. The U.S. has called for negotiations rather than an imposed timetable.
“I want to express my appreciation and gratitude to the U.S. and Australia,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday. He said he also received assurances from the Rwandan and Nigerian presidents that they would not support the resolution.
“They stood by their words and this is what tipped the scales,” Netanyahu said.
France and Luxembourg were among countries that voted in favour of the U.N. resolution, reflecting growing impatience, especially in Europe, over the lack of progress in more than two decades of on-again off-again peace talks.
Also Wednesday, two masked assailants threw a firebomb into a Palestinian home in a suspected Israeli attack in the southern West Bank village of Khirbet al-Karmil, Israeli police spokeswoman Luba Samri said. The attack caused no casualties and the word “revenge” in Hebrew was found scrawled nearby, she said.
The attack comes after a firebomb attack last week on a car belonging to Jewish settlers in the West Bank. A young Israeli girl suffered serious burns and her father was lightly wounded in the attack. Israel says it arrested Palestinians who confessed to throwing the firebomb.
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