‘It is suspicious the plane has deviated from the route it usually takes’ (Video)

 As the world mourns the tragic loss of 298 people in Malaysian Airlines plane crash over Ukraine, questions have arisen over unusual circumstances of the tragedy. RT talks to Wireless Communications professor Mischa Dohler.

Missile destroys Malaysia Airlines plane over Ukraine, 298 killed

Source: The Guardian

By: Shaun Walker in Kiev, Harriet Salem in Grabovo and Alec Luhn in Moscow

• Pro-Russia rebels suspected of downing airliner
• Ukrainian president condemns ‘terrorist act’
• World leaders react with shock and revulsion

The president of Ukraine has accused pro-Russia rebels in the east of the country of shooting down a Malaysia Airlines jet with a ground-to-air missile, killing all 298 people on board as the airliner exploded and rained down in fiery pieces over a rural Ukrainian village.

The huge loss of life threatens to have wide-ranging and unpredictable consequences, coming just after the US imposed further sanctions on Russia for continuing to provide weapons to the rebels. Defence and security experts said the Russian-made Buk surface-to-air missile system, known to be in the hands of pro-Russia fighters in Ukraine, was most likely used.

“This was not an ‘incident’, this was not a ‘catastrophe’, this was a terrorist act,” said Ukraine’s president, Petro Poroshenko.

The US vice-president, Joe Biden, said the plane had been “blown out of the sky”, while the Ukrainian authorities released an audio recording said to be rebel commanders apparently realising their forces were responsible.

The jet, which was flying from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, came down near the village of Grabovo, part of the area controlled by pro-Russia separatists, on Thursday.

It had been flying 1,000ft above restricted airspace, according to the European air traffic control body. Eurocontrol said Ukrainian authorities had banned aircraft from flying at 32,000ft or below and the doomed aircraft had been cruising at 33,000ft – however this apparently still left it within range of the sophisticated surface-to-air weaponry that pro-Russia forces have been using recently in the Ukraine conflict. All civilian flights have now been barred from the area of eastern Ukraine.

A partial breakdown of passenger nationalities was released early on Friday, showing that 154 Dutch nationals, 43 Malaysians and 27 Australians were on board, along with nine passengers believed to be from the UK, four each from Germany and Belgium, three from the Philippines, one Canadian and 41 unverified. A group of international HIV/Aids experts flying to Melbourne were among those killed. Included in those numbers were the flight crew of 15, all Malaysian.

Malaysia’s prime minister, Najib Razak, said: “If it transpires that the flight was shot down, we insist that the perpetrators must swiftly be brought to justice.” His country was sending a disaster response and assistance team to Ukraine.

The Australian prime minister, Tony Abbott, said the world should be “filled with revulsion” at the plane’s destruction and said “Russian proxies, using Russian-supplied equipment” may have been responsible. Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said that if MH17 had been shot down it amounted to an “unspeakable crime” and a full international investigation must be allowed to take place. She said pro-Russia rebels, said to have retrieved the plane’s black box flight recording equipment, must hand it over to authorities.

The British foreign secretary, Philip Hammond, said: “We do believe that there were British nationals on board the flight. We are working through passenger data, cross-checking it and referencing it to establish exactly the numbers and identities of those British nationals.”

The field next to the tiny hamlet was a scene of charred earth and twisted metal as shocked local people milled around the scene. Body parts belonging to the 298 people on board were strewn around. The body of what appeared to be a young woman was flung about 500m from the centre of the crash.

US government officials confirmed to media outlets that a surface-to-air missile brought down the plane. US intelligence was reportedly still working to determine the exact location from which the missile was fired, and whether it was on the Russian or the Ukrainian side of the border.

Rebels in the self-declared Donetsk and Luhansk people’s republics have shot down several Ukrainian planes and helicopters in recent weeks. But they insisted they had no part in the downing of MH17, claiming instead that Ukrainian fire was responsible.

 

Malaysian model converts to Islam at mosque in Ramadan

By: therakyatpost.com

Source: http://www.therakyatpost.com/

KUALA LUMPUR – Model Felixia Yeap disappointed a crowd which had gathered to watch her convert to Islam at Hidayah Centre in Melawati on Thursday. She failed to turn up.

Many had gathered there from as early as 10am after social media reported on the matter.

Yeap was supposed to recite the Shahadah (declaration of faith), but neither she nor the management were seen at the premises.

At 9pm, she took to Facebook to announce she had embraced the faith at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail mosque at 6.30pm earlier in the day.

“Jam 6.30pm tadi…saya telah selamat mengucap syahadah saya di sebuah masjid di TTDI.

“Alhamdullilah… selamat bergelar seorang Muslimah walaupun diberi extra dugaan hari ini. Amat bersyukur dengan kawan2 yang hadir tadi.“

She said her mother just arrived and gave me two ang pows, saying: “Ma is giving you some money as good luck for you and for your new life.”

“I held my laughter. And I told her: ‘Ma, but your money came from me too…’”

The 28-year-old former Playboy model, however, took to Facebook to deny that she had revealed details to the media and said the location of her conversion was kept a secret.

“To those who spread rumours that I will recite the Shahadah at the Hidayah Centre, Melawati, this is the month of Ramadan, don’t spread false news.

“I never revealed to anyone the location and time the ceremony will be held, since the recital is between me and God,” she said, adding that it was a private matter.

Yeap had previously announced that she would convert to Islam on the fifth day of Ramadan, which falls today.

It also coincided with her birthday.

Meanwhile, in her blog posting titled “Hari ini saya akan pulang” (Today, I am going home), Yeap expressed her sentiments about life and her journey before discovering Islam.

“I went to Catholic church every Sunday evening for 2 years. I’ve tried to understand Christianity. I’ve tried to find meaning in worshipping Kuan Yin and others.

“I also tried to adopt Buddhist practices.

“But my heart never felt close to God. My heart never felt touched.

“Today is a historic date for me. It’s like a rebirth.

“Incidentally, this year, my birthday falls on the 5th of Ramadan.

“I’m more excited to know that this date falls on a Thursday, the Prophet Muhammad’s favourite day,” she wrote.

The Deen Show: Malaysian Pop Music Super Star Mizz Nina accepts Islam and Hijab (VIDEO)

 Breaking news! One of the top Malaysian Pop Music Super Stars Mizz Nina is on TheDeenShow this week to tell us why she choose Islam and the Hijab and how she has never been happier in her life after making this life changing decision.
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