Coroner: Death of Andrew Getty appears natural or accident

Apr 1, 1:09 AM EDT

 

by Rochelle van Amber and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Los Angeles

AP Photo/Ringo H.W. Chiu

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LOS ANGELES -- Los Angeles County coroner's investigators say the death of Getty oil heir Andrew Getty is most likely via natural causes or an accident.

Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter says the death Tuesday at a home in the Hollywood Hills appears to be natural, but it has been tentatively ruled an accident because of medication found at the scene.

The coroner has not officially identified Getty, but his family confirmed in a statement that it was Andrew Getty.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. Earlier story is below.

Andrew Getty, the 47-year-old grandson of the late oil billionaire J. Paul Getty and one of the heirs to the fortune of one of the wealthiest and best-known families in American history, was found dead Tuesday in his Hollywood Hills home, police and family members said.

A woman calling to report that someone had died sent officers to the gated home on Montcalm Avenue shortly after 2:15 p.m. They found the man dead in a bathroom, police spokesman Jack Richter said.

Police didn't identify the man, but a statement from Andrew Getty's parents, Ann and Gordon Getty, confirmed it was him.

The statement provided no further details on the death and asked that the media and public respect the family's privacy. It said further statements will be issued as information becomes available.

Richter and other police officials would not immediately confirm media reports that the dead man was Getty.

Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said the woman who had called police was cooperating with the investigation. Richter said she was not arrested and he did not know her identity.

Coroner's vans and news trucks were parked outside the century-old luxury home on one of the winding roads in the hills that are home to many of the film industry elite.

Getty is one of four sons of Gordon Getty, a San Francisco multibillionaire who is among the richest men in the United States.

Andrew Getty's grandfather J. Paul Getty was an industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Co. and was at one point named the richest living American by Fortune magazine. He had five sons and died in 1976 at age 82.

J. Paul Getty was an avid collector of art and antiquities, and the Getty name is best known in the Los Angeles area for the museum that houses much of it, along with many other high-priced artworks bought since his death.

Another Getty grandson, J. Paul Getty III, lost an ear in a grisly kidnapping in Rome when he was a teenager. The family reportedly stalled on paying a ransom, and the kidnappers cut off part of his ear, sending the severed organ to a newspaper to prove they had taken him captive.

The oil heir, then 16, was freed after five months in captivity and a payment of $2.7 million. He died in 2011 at age 54.

Oil heir Andrew Getty found dead at Hollywood Hills home

Apr 1, 12:42 AM EDT

by Rochelle van Amber and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Los Angeles

    LOS ANGELES   — Andrew Getty, the 47-year-old grandson of the late oil billionaire J. Paul Getty and one of the heirs to the fortune of one of the wealthiest and best-known families in American history, was found dead Tuesday in his Hollywood Hills home, police and family members said.
A woman calling to report that someone had died sent officers to the gated home on Montcalm Avenue shortly after 2:15 p.m. They found the man dead in a bathroom, police spokesman Jack Richter said.
Police didn’t identify the man, but a statement from Andrew Getty’s parents, Ann and Gordon Getty, confirmed it was him.
The statement provided no further details on the death and asked that the media and public respect the family’s privacy. It said further statements will be issued as information becomes available.
Richter and other police officials would not immediately confirm media reports that the dead man was Getty.
Police Cmdr. Andrew Smith said the woman who had called police was cooperating with the investigation. Richter said she was not arrested and he did not know her identity.
Coroner’s vans and news trucks were parked outside the century-old luxury home on one of the winding roads in the hills that are home to many of the film industry elite.
Getty is one of four sons of Gordon Getty, a San Francisco multibillionaire who is among the richest men in the United States.
Andrew Getty’s grandfather J. Paul Getty was an industrialist who founded the Getty Oil Co. and was at one point named the richest living American by Fortune magazine. He had five sons and died in 1976 at age 82.
J. Paul Getty was an avid collector of art and antiquities, and the Getty name is best known in the Los Angeles area for the museum that houses much of it, along with many other high-priced artworks bought since his death.
Another Getty grandson, J. Paul Getty III, lost an ear in a grisly kidnapping in Rome when he was a teenager. The family reportedly stalled on paying a ransom, and the kidnappers cut off part of his ear, sending the severed organ to a newspaper to prove they had taken him captive.
The oil heir, then 16, was freed after five months in captivity and a payment of $2.7 million. He died in 2011 at age 54.

China building 'great wall of sand' in South China Sea

by Coco Jiang and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Beijing

1 hour ago

China's land reclamation is creating a "great wall of sand" in the South China Sea, a top US official says, leading to "serious questions" on its intentions.

US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Harry Harris made the comments in a speech in Australia on Tuesday night.
China has overlapping claims with neighbours in the South China Sea.
It has been reclaiming land in contested waters - something it said last year was "totally justified" as it had "sovereignty" over the area.
In recent months images have emerged of Chinese construction on reefs in the Spratly Islands to create artificial islands with facilities that could potentially be for military use, including an air strip.
Several nations, including Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan, also claim ownership of territory in the Spratly Islands.

Adm Harris described China's land reclamation as "unprecedented".
"China is building artificial land by pumping sand on to live coral reefs - some of them submerged - and paving over them with concrete. China has now created over 4sq/km (1.5 sq miles) of artificial landmass," he said.
"China is creating a great wall of sand with dredges and bulldozers over the course of months."
He said that considering China's "pattern of provocative actions towards smaller claimant states" in the South China Sea, the scope of the building raised "serious questions about Chinese intentions".
The row over territory in the South China Sea has escalated in recent years, raising regional tensions.
The Philippines has filed a complaint with UN's Permanent Court of Arbitration - but China says it will not engage with the case.
In Vietnam, anti-Chinese violence broke out last year after China moved a drilling rig into disputed waters of the Paracel Islands.

Last year, responding to a BBC report on the land reclamation, China's foreign ministry spokesman Hua Chunying said China's operations in the Spratly Islands fell "entirely within China's sovereignty and are totally justifiable".
Asked whether the reclamation was for commercial or military use, Ms Hua replied that it was "mainly for the purpose of improving the working and living conditions of people stationed on these islands".

Uganda prosecutor in al-Shabab bomb case shot dead

by Natalie Duval and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Kampala

3 hours ago

Joan Kagezi, the top Ugandan state prosecutor in the trial of 13 men accused of a deadly al-Shabab bomb attack, has been shot dead in Kampala.

Ms Kagezi was targeted on her way home by motorbike gunmen, officials say.
The trial of the men, accused of links to the 2010 Kampala suicide bombing which killed 76 people, has been suspended.
Last week, the US embassy in Uganda warned of a possible "terrorist" attack.
Ms Kagezi, the senior principal state attorney, headed the directorate of public prosecution's anti-terrorism and war crimes division.
Kampala police spokesman Patrick Onyango said: "They were trailing her on a motorcycle... They shot her dead."

Ms Kagezi was taken to the main hospital in the capital but died on the way.
Her children were with her in the car but weren't harmed in the shooting, according to a statement by the Ugandan Information Minister Jim Muhwezi in the Daily Monitor.
The BBC's Catherine Byaruhanga in Kampala says some Ugandans are now wondering whether Ms Kagezi was given enough protection.
Our correspondent says there is now an increased presence of policemen and soldiers on the streets of the Ugandan capital.
Last week the US said it had "received information of possible threats" at city locations where Western nationals gather.
Uganda's government said the US had warned of a possible suicide bomber trying to enter the country.
Uganda was under threat because it is a key contributor to the African Union mission fighting al-Shabab inside Somalia, a spokesman said.

Yemen on verge of total collapse, UN human rights chief warns

by Leila Mohamed and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Beirut

4 hours ago

The UN high commissioner for human rights has warned that Yemen is "on the verge of total collapse", as Houthi rebels battle a Saudi-led coalition backing the government.

Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein called on all sides to protect civilians.
Mr Zeid expressed shock at a coalition air strike on a camp for internally displaced people in northern Yemen on Monday, which left at least 19 dead.
He also condemned attacks by rebels and allied army units on three hospitals.
The UN says at least 93 civilians have been killed since the 10-nation coalition launched an air campaign five days ago.
The coalition says it intends to "protect and defend the legitimate government" of President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi.

Mr Hadi fled abroad last week after the Zaidi Shia rebels advanced on the city of Aden, where he had taken refuge after the Houthis took full control of the capital Sanaa in January and placed him under house arrest.

Aid flight 'prevented'

Mr Zeid said the situation in Yemen was "extremely alarming" and warned: "The country seems to be on the verge of total collapse."

The UN statement said that there were differing accounts as to how many people were killed in Monday's air strike on al-Mazrak camp, but that UN staff had verified at least 19 fatalities. The camp, in the Houthis' heartland of Saada province, is home to some 4,000 people.
"The killing of so many innocent civilians is simply unacceptable," Mr Zeid said. "The principles of proportionality, distinction, and precaution fully apply in this context. International human rights law and humanitarian law should be fully respected."

Mr Zeid also stressed that medical facilities had a special protected status under international law amid reports that the Yemeni army's 33rd Armoured Division and Houthi-affiliated brigades had attacked three hospitals, causing an unknown number of casualties.
Heavy fighting has also been reported in the streets of Aden, where rebel forces are battling militiamen and Sunni tribesmen loyal to President Hadi.
The high commissioner said that in addition to the civilian casualties, homes, hospitals, education facilities and infrastructure in several locations had been destroyed, "making life even more difficult for the people in this war-torn country".
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) also expressed concern at the high number of civilian casualties and called for the urgent removal of obstacles to the delivery of vital medical supplies.

In a statement, the agency said a shipment was due to arrive in Sanaa by plane on Tuesday for distribution at hospitals across the country, but that efforts to negotiate the safe arrival of the plane with the Saudi-led coalition "have not been successful".
"In order that the wounded get the treatment they deserve, it's essential we deliver urgent medicines and surgical kits," said Cedric Schweizer, the head of the ICRC's operation in Yemen.
Meanwhile, the Saudi ambassador to the UK told the BBC that his country's regional rival, Iran, had been offering the Houthis military assistance, something that the rebels and the Iranians deny.

The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control
President Hadi: Fled to Saudi Arabia after rebel forces advanced on his stronghold in the southern city of Aden
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi.
Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP
Failure 'not an option for Saudis'
Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground?
Yemen: Waiting for the war
Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies
The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels

Bloody climax to Turkey prosecutor hostage crisis

by Natalie de Vallieres and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Istanbul

1 hour ago

A Turkish prosecutor has been badly wounded and two gunmen who took him hostage killed after a shootout at a courthouse in Istanbul, officials say.

Gunshots were heard and smoke was seen rising from the scene, after special forces reportedly entered the building.
The prosecutor was apparently taken hostage because he had headed an inquiry into the death of a boy during anti-government protests in 2013.
A banned Marxist revolutionary group is said to be behind the incident.
A statement posted online said the prosecutor would be killed if the group's demands were not met.
Dramatic images were seen on social media of a gun being held to the head of Mehmet Selim Kiraz at a court house in Istanbul.
The Turkish government banned live TV coverage of the incident, citing security concerns.

ukriye Erden, a lawyer negotiating with the hostage takers, told the BBC that they had demanded that the police announce the names of four members of the security services whom they said were connected to the death of the boy, Berkin Elvan.
Elvan, who was then 14, was struck in the head by a police tear gas canister in June 2013 as he went to buy bread during mass demonstrations that began in Istanbul and spread across Turkey.
He died in an Istanbul hospital last year, after spending nine months in a coma.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, now Turkey's president, inflamed passions shortly after the teenager's death when he said the boy had been carrying a slingshot and had been "taken up into terrorist organisations".

Suspected members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) took the prosecutor hostage on the sixth floor of the Caglayan court house, reports said.
The DHKP-C is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and US. It said it carried out a suicide bombing in February 2013 at the US embassy in Ankara, where a security guard was killed.
In January, a man linked to the banned Marxist group was arrested near the prime minister's offices in Istanbul, reportedly after throwing two grenades that failed to explode.

Nigeria election: Muhammadu Buhari wins

by Tokun Lawal and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Abuja, Nigeria

29 minutes ago

Former military ruler Muhammadu Buhari has become the first opposition candidate to win presidential elections in Nigeria.

Gen Buhari's party said his opponent, incumbent Goodluck Jonathan, had admitted defeat and congratulated him.
Mr Jonathan trailed Gen Buhari by about two million votes when he conceded.
Observers have generally praised the election but there have been allegations of fraud, which some fear could lead to protests and violence.
Live election updates
"President Jonathan called General Muhammadu Buhari, the winner of the elections, to congratulate him," Lai Mohammed, a spokesman for Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC), said.
The spokesman praised Mr Jonathan, saying: "He will remain a hero for this move. The tension will go down dramatically."
"Anyone who tries to foment trouble on the account that they have lost the election will be doing so purely on his own," he added.

Analysis: Will Ross, BBC Nigeria correspondent, Abuja

This is a hugely significant moment in Nigeria's turbulent history. Never before has a sitting president been defeated in an election.
Since independence from Britain in 1960, there have been numerous coups and most elections have been rigged. Of course in a close election there will be many voters who are not pleased with this outcome but the whole process is a sign that democracy is deepening in Nigeria.
The poll has once again brought to the surface dangerous religious and regional differences and there is still a threat of violence.
The man who has been voted out, Goodluck Jonathan, has played a huge part today in trying to prevent that. He made the phone call when there would no doubt have been some in his camp who would have preferred to dig their heels in.
Five reasons why Goodluck Jonathan lost
Profile: Muhammadu Buhari
Profile: Goodluck Jonathan

Results at 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT) showed Gen Buhari with 15 million votes, and Mr Jonathan with 12.8 million votes.
Results have been declared in all states, except for Borno, which is viewed as one of the APC's strongholds.

Gen Buhari's supporters took to the streets in the northern cities of Kano and Kaduna, singing and dancing in celebration.

It is the fourth time the former military ruler, 72, has sought the presidency.
He ruled Nigeria from January 1984 until August 1985, taking charge after a military coup in December 1983.
Mr Jonathan had led Nigeria since 2010, initially as acting leader before winning elections in 2011.
Nigeria has suffered from several attacks by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in its drive to establish an Islamic state.

• Many voters have said that they believe Gen Buhari is better positioned to defeat Boko Haram.

 

Turkish prosecutor taken hostage in Istanbul

by Natalie de Vallieres and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Istanbul

18 minutes ago

Armed men have taken hostage the Turkish prosecutor heading the inquiry into the death of a boy during anti-government protests in 2013.

Dramatic images have emerged on social media of a gun being held to the head of Mehmet Selim Kiraz at a court house in Istanbul.
Later gunshots were heard and smoke was seen rising from the building, after reports special forces had entered.
A banned Marxist revolutionary group is said to be behind the incident.
A statement posted online said the prosecutor would be killed if their demands were not met.
City police chief Selami Altinok told reporters that negotiations with the hostage takers were under way.
"We are trying to resolve the issue without anyone being hurt," he said.
The Turkish government has banned live TV coverage of the incident, citing security concerns.

But later witnesses reported hearing gunshots and an explosion at the building, and ambulances were seen going to and from the scene.
There was no immediate comment from officials on the latest developments.
Sukriye Erden, a lawyer negotiating with the hostage takers, told the BBC that they had demanded that the police should announce the names of four members of security services who they said were connected to the death of Berkin Elvan.
Berkin Elvan, who was then 14, was struck in the head by a police tear gas canister in June 2013 as he went to buy bread during mass demonstrations that began in Istanbul and spread across Turkey.
After nine months in a coma he eventually died in an Istanbul hospital.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan, now Turkey's president, inflamed passions shortly after the teenager's death when he said the boy had been carrying a slingshot and had been "taken up into terrorist organisations".

Suspected members of the Revolutionary People's Liberation Party-Front (DHKP-C) took the prosecutor hostage on the sixth floor of the Caglayan court house, reports said.
Berkin Elvan's father, Sami, appealed for the prosecutor to be freed: "My son is dead but let no-one else die."
"You can't wash blood with blood," he told BBC Turkish.
Turkey's prime minister met the interior minister to try to defuse this latest crisis, the BBC's Mark Lowen in Istanbul reports.
The DHKP-C is considered a terrorist group by Turkey, the European Union and US. It said it carried out a suicide bombing in February 2013 at the US embassy in Ankara, where a security guard was killed.
In January, a man linked to the banned Marxist group was arrested near the prime minister's offices in Istanbul, reportedly after throwing two grenades that failed to explode.

BREAKING--Germanwings crash: Lufthansa told of co-pilot depression

by Isabelle Roussel and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Frankfurt

2 minutes ago

The co-pilot of the Germanwings plane crash, Andreas Lubitz, told his flight training school about a previous bout of depression, Lufthansa has said.

The airline revealed last week Lubitz had taken a break from training, but refused to say why.
In a statement it said it had now shared documents with prosecutors, including emails from 2009.
They show Lubitz told his flight instructors "about a previous episode of severe depression".
A recording from the cockpit of the aircraft suggests the 27-year-old deliberately caused the disaster last Tuesday, which killed 150 people.
Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr previously said that the company was not aware of anything that could have driven the co-pilot to crash the Airbus A320.
"He was 100% fit to fly without any restrictions or conditions," he told reporters.
Lubitz resumed training with the airline in 2009 following his break and had passed all medical tests, according to the company.
He eventually completed his training and started working with Lufthansa subsidiary Germanwings in 2013.

'Suicidal tendencies'

German prosecutors said on Monday that Lubitz had received treatment for "suicidal tendencies".
But Lufthansa said his medical records were subject to doctor-patient confidentiality and it had no knowledge of their contents.
Meanwhile the company has set aside an additional $300m (€280m; £200m) to cover possible costs arising from the crash.
The money is separate from the $54,250 available to the relatives of each passenger to cover short-term expenses.
Airlines are obliged to compensate relatives for proven damages of up to a limit of about $157,000 - regardless of what caused the crash - but higher compensation is possible if an airline is held liable.
None of the victims were found intact after the plane's 700kph (430mph) impact, but different strands of DNA have been identified at the site.
French President Francois Hollande said on Tuesday that all 150 victims would be identified by the end of the week.
Speaking at a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, Mr Hollande said "exceptional scientific work" had been carried out by the recovery team.

Andreas Lubitz: Germanwings co-pilot

• Started training in 2008, at Bremen and Arizona. Training was interrupted for some months - but he later passed all tests and was deemed fit to fly
• Working as co-pilot, or first officer, since 2013. Appeared pleased with his job
• Lived in town of Montabaur, near Frankfurt, reportedly with his parents. Kept a flat in Duesseldorf and had many friends
• Facebook profile suggests the active lifestyle of a keen runner, with an interest in pop music

Who was Andreas Lubitz?

 

 

Boko Haram kills 39, legislator, disrupting Nigeria election

Mar 28, 6:00 PM EDT

 

by Rashida Adjani and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, N'Djamena, Chad

AP Photo/Sunday Alamba

Multimedia Death Row Art Nigerians honor Emir of Kano Traditional Boxers Face Off in "Dambe" Kegbara Dere's Fire Latest News from Nigeria Boko Haram kills 39, legislator, disrupting Nigeria election Things to know about Nigeria's 2 front-runners in vote Things to know about Nigeria, as country votes for president Nigeria's military pushes extremists before elections Nigerian military: No news of 219 kidnapped schoolgirls

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N'Djamena, Chad  -- Witnesses and officials say Boko Haram extremists killed 39 people, including a legislator, in northeastern Nigeria, disrupting the country's presidential election.

All the attacks took place in the northeast where the military Friday announced it had cleared the Islamic extremists from all major centers.

Residents of the town of Miringa say Boko Haram militants torched people's homes early Saturday and then shot them as they tried to escape. Twenty-five reportedly died.

Witnesses and officials say another 14 people, including Gombe state legislator Umaru Ali, died later Saturday in attacks on the towns of Biri and Dukku.

Elsewhere, tens of millions of Nigerians took part in the closely contested and largely peaceful presidential election.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. Earlier story is below.

Nigeria extended voting to Sunday because of technical glitches as millions turned out to vote in a presidential election that analysts say is too close to call.

Nearly 60 million people have cards to vote, and for the first time there is a possibility that a challenger can defeat a sitting president in the high-stakes contest to govern Africa's richest and most populous nation.

The front-runners among 14 candidates are President Goodluck Jonathan and former military dictator Muhammadu Buhari.

Voters also are electing 360 legislators to the House of Assembly, where the opposition currently has a slight edge over Jonathan's party.

Nigeria's political landscape was transformed two years ago when the main opposition parties formed a coalition and for the first time united behind one candidate, Buhari.

Polling will continue Sunday in some areas where new machines largely failed to read voters' biometric cards, said Kayode Idowu, spokesman of the Independent National Electoral Commission. That includes some areas of Lagos, a megacity of 20 million and Nigeria's commercial capital on the Atlantic coast.

In other areas, vote counting ended Saturday night, with blackouts that are routine forcing some officials to count by the light of vehicles and cellphones.

Earlier, Boko Haram extremists waving guns forced voters to abandon polling stations in three villages of northeastern Gombe state, witnesses said. Nigeria's home-grown militants have vowed to disrupt elections, calling democracy a corrupt Western concept.

Two car bombs exploded at two polling stations in southeast Enugu state but did not hurt voters, police said. Police detonated two other car bombs at the scene of the first explosion, a polling station set up at a primary school, said Enugu state police Commissioner Dan Bature. Boko Haram has been blamed for many car bombings but was not immediately suspected in the southeastern blasts far from its northeast stronghold.

Jonathan denied the attacks, saying the state governor told him there were no blasts.

The oil-rich and heavily populated south that traditionally votes for Jonathan's party is deeply contested this time and has become a political battleground.

The official website of the Independent National Electoral Commission was hacked but was quickly secured, said officials who said the site holds no sensitive material.

Thousands of people forced from their homes by the Islamic uprising lined up to vote at a refugee camp in Yola, capital of northeast Adamawa state, which is hosting as many refugees as its 300,000 residents.

Refugee Elzubairu Ali does not know when she will be able to return to her home.

"We have to wait for the time when the Nigerian army will totally wipe them (Boko Haram) out before we can go back," she said after voting.

Nigeria's military announced Friday it had destroyed the headquarters of Boko Haram's so-called Islamic caliphate and driven the insurgents from all major areas in northeast Nigeria. There was no way to verify the claim, which seems unlikely. Critics of Jonathan have said recent military victories after months of ceding territory to the Islamic extremists are a ploy to win votes - a charge the presidential campaign denies.

The failure of Jonathan's administration to curb the insurgency, which killed about 10,000 people last year, has angered Nigerians in the north.

International outrage has grown over another failure - the rescue of 219 schoolgirls kidnapped by Boko Haram nearly a year ago. The extremists have abducted hundreds more since then, using them as sex slaves and fighters.

On Saturday, the voting process began late in most places. Officials rushed across the country delivering ballot materials by trucks, speedboats, motorcycles, mules and even camels, in the case of a northern mountaintop village.

Good humor turned to anger and altercations as people waited hours and temperatures rose up to 100 degrees (37 degrees Celsius), only to find that machines were not reading new biometric voting cards.

Even the president was affected. Three newly imported card readers failed to recognize the fingerprints of Jonathan and his wife. Biometric cards and readers are being used for the first time to discourage the kind of fraud that has marred previous votes.

Kelly and Kornienko begin year-long space trip

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News

1 our ago

US astronaut Scott Kelly and Russian cosmonaut Mikhail Kornienko have arrived for the start of a 12-month tour of duty on the International Space Station.

It will be the longest continuous stay anyone has had aboard the 400km-high (250 mile) orbiting platform.
Their Soyuz capsule docked successfully at 01:33 GMT on Saturday, Nasa said.
Scientists hope to get a keener idea of the effects on the human body of living in microgravity for extended periods.
The space agencies say the data will be invaluable as they plan towards eventually mounting a mission to Mars.
Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko launched from Baikonur in Kazakhstan in the Soyuz vehicle at 01:42 local time on Saturday (19:42 GMT Friday).
They were joined on the flight up by cosmonaut Gennady Padalka, but his tour will only last the normal six months.
Although Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko will set an endurance record for this space station, some of the stays aboard the old Russian Mir platform were much longer.
Four cosmonauts lived on Mir at various times for more than a year, with Valeri Polyakov spending a mammoth 437.7 days in orbit in 1994-95.

"The last time we had such a long duration flight was almost 20 years and of course all… scientific techniques are more advanced than 20 years ago,'' Mr Kornienko was quoted as saying by the AP wire service in the pre-launch press conference.
"And right now we need to test the capability of a human being to perform such long-duration flights. So this is the main objective of our flight - to test ourselves."
Mr Kelly added: "One of the differences here is that we're doing it as an international partnership, and if we're going to go beyond low-Earth orbit again, perhaps to Mars, because of the cost and the complexity it will most likely be an international mission, so we see this as a stepping stone to that."

Knowledge on how to mitigate some of the deleterious effects of living in zero-g has improved markedly since the Mir era, and the expectation is that Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko will come back in a better shape than those early pioneers.
Programmed nutrition and exercise routines now prevent much of the bone density loss and muscle weakness that earlier astronauts used to experience.
However, there are other problems that doctors still need to study and understand. They have poor data on the effects on immune function, for example, and there is considerable concern about the damage spaceflight causes to the eyes. This is a newly recognised phenomenon, and appears to be related to the way fluid is redistributed in a weightless body.

Pressure is seen to build in the skull and on the optic nerve, and a large number of astronauts return to Earth complaining that their vision is not as good as when they went up.
By having Mr Kelly and Mr Kornienko onboard for a year, the agencies will be able to monitor how such complications progress beyond the normal six-month tour of duty.
Mr Kelly's situation is made more interesting by the fact that he has an identical twin brother, Mark Kelly, who was himself an astronaut before retiring from the US space agency in 2011.
The pair will be used in a comparative study: one in space, one on the ground.
Relativity theories predict that Scott Kelly should age less quickly than his brother while speeding above the Earth - but only by a few milliseconds over the year.

Syria crisis: Islamist groups' 'capture Idlib

by Leila Mohamed and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Beirut

1 hour ago

Islamist rebels have captured the north-western Syrian city of Idlib from government forces, monitors say.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that the Ahrar al-Sham, Jund al-Aqsa and Nusra Front groups had taken the city on Saturday.
Idlib is only the second provincial centre to fall into rebel hands, after Raqqa was seized by Islamic State (IS).
Syria's civil war, which began four years ago, has killed more than 200,000 Syrians and displaced 11 million.
The UK-based observatory said the militant groups seized the city after four days of intense fighting.
Syria has not confirmed the loss.
State television said: "The army is fighting fierce battles to restore the situation back to what it was."

The capture of the city, with a population of 100,000, would be a serious blow to the government of President Bashar al-Assad, correspondents say.
Idlib has been the subject of severe fighting between the government and opposition forces for months
Idlib is close to the strategically important main highway linking the capital Damascus to the commercial capital Aleppo. It is also close to the coastal province of Latakia, a stronghold of President Assad.
Supporters of Ahrar al-Sham and the Nusra Front have posted pictures of fighters celebrating in the city.
It is the second defeat of government forces in the space of a week after rebels in southern Syria seized the historical city of Busra in Deraa province.
On Saturday, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said he was angry and shamed by the failure to halt the Syrian civil war.
Speaking at an Arab League summit in Egypt, he promised to step up diplomatic efforts to stop the fighting.

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Yemen crisis: Proxy war between Sunni Arab nations and Shia Iran

by Leila Mohamed and Biodun Iginla, Political News Analysts, BBC News, Beirut

47 minutes ago

Yemen President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi has accused Iran of destabilising the country, calling Houthi rebels the "stooges of Iran".

Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia says military intervention in Yemen will continue until the country is "stable and safe".
The move comes after a third night of airstrikes by a Saudi-led coalition hit cities across the country.
The conflict has been described by correspondents as a proxy war between Sunni Arab nations and Shia Iran.
President Hadi was speaking at an Arab League summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, days after having to flee Yemen as rebels advanced on his stronghold of Aden.
He plans to stay abroad until the situation settles, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riad Yassin said.
The Saudi-led Operation Decisive Storm has the support of several Arab League members. It was sparked by Wednesday's rebel advance towards Aden - a push that air strikes have failed to stop.

Analysis: BBC's Orla Guerin in Sharm el-Sheikh
Iran is the spectre hanging over this gathering of Arab leaders. When a coalition of Sunni-led states began bombing Houthi rebels in Yemen three days ago, this was a shot across the bow for Shia Iran.
The intervention is an attempt to curb Iran's growing influence in the Arab world, as well as to save the presidency of Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi. Both will be difficult tasks.
While other leaders at the summit made veiled references to Tehran, President Hadi - who just days ago was in hiding - was blunt. He described the Shia Houthi rebels who are trying to topple him as "Iranian stooges".
Yemen is now the backdrop for a larger conflict which already looks like a proxy war between Sunni states - especially regional heavyweight Saudi Arabia - and Iran. What's unclear is how far Arab leaders are prepared to take this conflict, or how much it may escalate.

While leaders spoke at the summit, explosions rocked an arms depot in Aden after it was looted by residents. A number of people have been reported killed but it is not clear how many.
Saudi air strikes have also destroyed ballistic missiles captured by the Houthis close to the Saudi border, Gulf officials said.

The UN is pulling its staff out of the capital Sanaa, hours after the Saudi navy evacuated dozens of its own and foreign diplomats from the country.
The fighting risks "disastrous consequences" for the Yemeni people, the UN warned - it is already the poorest country in the Middle East, with over 60% of the population requiring aid.
With no sign of an end to the current military campaign, the Yemeni president said that military intervention must continue until the Houthi rebels surrendered.

At the summit, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi called for the creation of a joint Arab military force to deal with "unprecedented threats" in the region.
Egypt has already pledged planes, warships and troops to the coalition. President Sisi referred to "foreign interference" in Yemen - a coded reference to Iran, according to analysts.
On Friday night, Mr Yassin said there was an "arrangement" for ground troops of the Saudi-led coalition to deploy in Yemen.
Iran is alleged to be supporting the Houthis. The rebels officially deny this, but senior figures have been seen in the Iranian city of Qom and there are unconfirmed reports of Iranian pilots flying Yemeni planes, reports the BBC's security correspondent Frank Gardner.
Speaking after President Hadi, United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon called for negotiations to avoid "a long, drawn-out conflict".

The Houthis have said their aim is to replace Mr Hadi's government, which they accuse of being corrupt.
Rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has vowed not to surrender to what he called the "unjustified aggression".
Iran has also criticised the Saudi intervention. "They have to stop," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.
Since the air campaign began, at least 61 civilians have been killed, Yemen health ministry officials say.

The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control
President Hadi: Fled to Saudi Arabia after rebel forces advanced on his stronghold in the southern city of Aden
Ali Abdullah Saleh: Despite being forced out to hand over power in 2011, the former Yemeni president remains an influential figure. His supporters have been fighting alongside the Houthis
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi
Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP
Failure 'not an option for Saudis'
Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground?
Yemen: Waiting for the war
Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies
The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels

Alps Germanwings crash co-pilot Lubitz told ex-girlfriend his name would become famous

by Isabelle Roussel and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Frankfurt

46 minutes ago

The Germanwings co-pilot thought to have deliberately crashed his Airbus in the French Alps, killing 150 people, predicted "one day everyone will know my name", his ex-girlfriend says.

In an interview with Germany's Bild newspaper, she recalled a comment Andreas Lubitz made last year.
"One day I'm going to do something that will change the whole system, and everyone will know my name and remember," he told her.
Flight 4U 9525 crashed on Tuesday.
The woman, a 26-year-old flight attendant who flew with Lubitz for five months last year, was "very shocked" when she heard the news, the paper says.
She is referred to only as Maria W.

If Lubitz deliberately brought down the plane, "it is because he understood that because of his health problems, his big dream of a job at Lufthansa, as captain and as a long-haul pilot was practically impossible," she told Bild.
Meanwhile, German newspaper Die Welt said that investigators had found evidence of a serious "psychosomatic illness", and that Lubitz had been "treated by several neurologists and psychiatrists".
Several medicines used to treat mental illnesses were found at his home, but there were no signs of drug or alcohol addiction, the newspaper, citing an unnamed investigator, said.
Separately, the New York Times, citing officials, reported that Lubitz had sought treatment for eye problems.
Briton's father in plea to airlines

'Too much pressure'

French investigator Jean-Pierre Michel also told the AFP news agency that the pilot's personality was "a serious lead [in the investigation] but... can't be the only one".
"We're going to try to understand what in his life could have left him to carry out the act," Mr Michel said, adding that investigators had not discovered any "particular element" so far.

The black box voice recorder indicates that Lubitz locked his captain out of the cockpit on Tuesday and crashed the plane into a mountainside in what appears to have been a suicide and mass killing.

German prosecutors say they found medical documents at Lubitz's house suggesting an existing illness and evidence of medical treatment. They found torn-up sick notes, one of them for the day of the crash.
They say he seems to have concealed his illness from his employers.
His former girlfriend told Bild they separated, "because it became increasingly clear that he had a problem".

She said he was plagued by nightmares and would at times wake up screaming "we're going down".
She added that he became stressed when they spoke about work: "He became upset about the conditions we worked under: too little money, fear of losing the contract, too much pressure."
A hospital in the German city of Duesseldorf has confirmed Lubitz was a patient there recently but it denied media reports that he had been treated for depression.
Lubitz's employers insisted that he had only been allowed to resume training after his suitability was "re-established".

Lubitz's health timeline

• 2009: Breaks off pilot training while still in his early twenties after suffering "depressions and anxiety attacks", the German tabloid Bild reports, quoting Lufthansa medical files. Resumes training after 18 months of treatment, according to Bild
• 2013: Qualifies "with flying colours" as pilot, according to Lufthansa
• 2013-2015: Medical file quoted by Bild marks him as requiring "specific regular medical examination" but no details are given
• February 2015: Undergoes diagnosis at Duesseldorf University Clinic for an unspecified illness; clinic has clarified the illness was not depression
• 10 March 2015: Again attends Duesseldorf University Clinic
• 24 March 2015:Is believed to have deliberately crashed airliner, killing himself and 149 others
• 26 March 2015: Prosecutors announce that two sick notes have been found torn up at his addresses in Germany

Unanswered questions

What drives people to murder-suicide?

Who was Andreas Lubitz?

'Unfathomable loss'

A fellow member of the flight school where Andreas Lubitz took lessons told the BBC the co-pilot had known the area of the French Alps where the plane crashed from going there on gliding holidays.
A French newspaper, Metro News, reported (in French) that Lubitz had holidayed with his parents at a flying club nearby.
French police say the search for passenger remains and debris on the mountain slopes could take another two weeks.

Relatives of some of the passengers and crew who died, including the family of the captain, have visited Seyne-les-Alpes, near the crash site.
In the aftermath of the crash, the EU's aviation regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has urged airlines to adopt new safety rules.
In future, it says, two crew members should be present in the cockpit at all times.
Lufthansa and Germanwings have taken out full-page notices in German newspapers, expressing their "deepest sympathy" and condolences for "the unfathomable loss of 150 lives".

What is depression?

Depression is more than just feeling a bit down for a few days. It is an illness which, at its most severe, can leave people feeling that life is no longer worth living. It can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, sleeplessness and constant tiredness which may last for months and months.
People with depression can also feel anxious, irritable and agitated on a daily basis but it affects everyone differently and only in rare cases is it a reason for violence against others.

If people admit their symptoms and talk to someone about their feelings, depression can usually be treated but the biggest barrier to getting help is often stigma and the fear of disclosing mental health problems.
German media examine 'depression' reports
Headlines add to stigma for sufferers
More on depression

Other incidents thought to be caused by deliberate pilot action

• 29 November 2013: A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck.
• 31 October 1999: An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive.
• 19 December 1997: More than 100 people were killed when a Boeing 737 travelling from Indonesia to Singapore crashed. The pilot - suffering from "multiple work-related difficulties" - was suspected of switching off the flight recorders and intentionally putting the plane into a dive.

Source: Aviation Safety Network

 

Nigeria election: Partial extension of voting to Sunday

by Rashida Adjani and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, N'Djamena, Chad

1 hour ago

Elections in parts of Nigeria have been extended until Sunday after delays and a number of attacks.

The delays were "not widespread" but were still "a matter of concern", an election official told the BBC.
Technical problems with new biometric cards slowed down voter registration, even affecting President Goodluck Jonathan.
More than 20 people have reportedly been killed in various attacks by unknown gunmen.
Mr Jonathan is facing a strong challenge from Muhammadu Buhari.
The election is said to be the most closely fought since independence.
The election as it happened.

It was postponed from mid-February to allow the army time to recapture territory from the Islamist militants of Boko Haram.
The two main candidates had pledged to prevent violence during and in the aftermath of the elections.
But several hours after voting started, reports came in of violent incidents at polling stations in which at least 24 were reported to have been killed.

Analysis: BBC Africa correspondent Andrew Harding

So who will win? I don't mean Goodluck Jonathan or Muhammadu Buhari. I'm talking about the forces of democracy here versus the assortment of groups busy trying to undermine this still-too-close-to-call election.
On Saturday we saw militant attacks, election officials abducted, stolen ballot boxes, a suspicious number of delays at some polling stations, and - although this may be more chaos than conspiracy - serious doubts raised about the efficacy of new voter registration machines.
In many countries all that might seem an overwhelming combination of negatives. But the positives should not be overlooked.
We've seen the impressive patience, discipline - and in the troubled north-east, pure courage - shown by most voters. Then there's the increasingly sophisticated coalition of election observers, armed with cameras and social media, furiously publishing data and hunting for irregularities.
Those positives may not be enough to guarantee this election is free and fair. But there's some reason for optimism. Whether the loser accepts defeat is, unfortunately, a rather different question.

Thousands of Nigerians turned out to vote, despite threats from Boko Haram to disrupt the poll.
"We have suffered enough, fled our homes after many attacks," said Roda Umar, a housewife from the former militant headquarters of Gwoza. "I'm ready to endure the pain to vote."

Voters are also electing members of the house of representatives and the senate.
According to the Transitional Monitoring Group (TMG), the largest body observing the elections, voting had started in 75% of polling stations, while 92% had the materials they need to start the process.
Voters need to register using biometric cards with their fingerprints before they can cast their vote.
However, there have been problems with card readers at many polling stations.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) said the accreditation process had "gone on well in several places", but was "slow" or had "not commenced at all" in others.

President Jonathan tried for some 50 minutes to register in his home village of Otuoke, before coming back a second time. When the electronic registration failed again, he had to be accredited manually before casting his ballot paper.
Problems were also reported from the north's biggest city of Kano, where thousands of voters waited for election officials and voting materials to arrive.
"No-one has shown up from Inec... This is a deliberate attempt to sabotage the elections," Ismail Omar, a 65-year-old builder, told AFP.
Gen Buhari did not have any problems registering in his hometown, Daura.
After voting, he told the BBC the process was "in order but I have been watching activities in other states, which is disappointing, but overall it's on course".

Nigeria at a glance:

• Two main presidential candidates:

Muhammadu Buhari, All Progressives Congress (APC), Muslim northerner, ex-military ruler, fourth presidential bid
Goodluck Jonathan, People's Democratic Party (PDP), Christian southerner, incumbent president, second-term bid

• Years of military rule ended in 1999 and the PDP has been in power ever since

• Nigeria is Africa's largest economy and leading oil producer

• With a population of more than 170m, it is also Africa's most populous nation

Unpredictable poll
Nigeria decides 2015: Full coverage

Attacks were reported in north-eastern Gombe state, including incidents where gunmen opened fire on voters at polling stations.
It is unclear whether the attacks were the work of Boko Haram militants or political thugs.

However, Mr Jonathan told the BBC's Peter Okwoche that most of the violence in Gombe was not directly related to the elections.
"The war against terrorists is going on, voting or no voting," he said. "There was a conflict, kind of a crossfire, between soldiers and terrorists that had nothing to do with the elections."

In other incidents:

• Suspected Boko Haram militants killed 25 people on the eve of the elections in Buratai village in Borno
• The Inec website was briefly hacked by a group calling itself the Nigeria Cyber Army, which warned the body not to rig the elections
• There was a controlled car bomb explosion at a polling station in Enugu state after the authorities discovered a car bomb
• According to the TMG, intimidation of election monitors at three polling stations in the south
• A soldier was killed in an ambush near the southern oil hub of Port Harcourt, the military said
• The People's Democratic Party (PDP) has dominated Nigerian politics since 1999, but Gen Buhari's All Progressives Congress (APC) is viewed as a serious challenge.
  Some 800 people were killed after the 2011 contest between Mr Jonathan and Gen Buhari, a former military ruler, who alleged fraud.
   

 

Yemen crisis: Saudis lead fresh air strikes on Houthis

by Leila Mohamed and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Beirut

6 hours ago

Warplanes from a Saudi-led coalition are bombing Yemen for a third night, targeting Shia Houthi rebels as they advance in and around the port of Aden.

The rebel advance has sparked street battles with forces loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi, who fled Aden and is now at an Arab League summit.
Former President Ali Abdullah Saleh - whose supporters are fighting alongside the rebels - has called for a truce.
But Saudi Arabia has vowed to defend Mr Hadi's government from the rebels.

Obama reaffirms support

The Sunni kingdom has accused its regional rival, Shia-led Iran, of backing the Houthis.
It has mobilised a coalition, including Gulf Arab states and Egypt, to roll back the rebels' advance in a mission codenamed Operation Decisive Storm.

US President Barack Obama spoke to Saudi King Salman on Friday and reaffirmed his support for the military action, the White House said in a statement.
Mr Obama and King Salman agreed their goal is to achieve lasting stability in Yemen through a negotiated political solution, the statement said.
The US military rescued two Saudi pilots who ejected from their F-15 fighter jet over the Gulf of Aden, a US defence official said on Friday.
He said the two were rescued in international waters at 21:20 GMT by a helicopter from Djibouti after Saudi Arabia requested assistance.
A statement on the Saudi SPA news agency said the plane had been hit by a technical fault.

Fleeing the capital

During Friday, warplanes carried out raids on Yemen's rebel-held capital, Sanaa, as well as on the Houthis' northern heartland of Saada.
The raids targeted arms depots and military bases as well as buildings used by Houthi leaders, residents and military officials said.
Since the air campaign began, at least 39 civilians - including six children under the age of 10 - have been killed, Yemen health ministry officials say.
A resident of Sanaa, Mohammed al-Jabahi, told AFP news agency that his family had spent the night in fear.

"Whenever a plane flies over our home and is met by anti-aircraft gunfire, my three children run to a corner and start screaming and crying," he said.
People have been fleeing the capital, with long queues at petrol stations, and many shops and firms have shut.
Meanwhile, the rebels have gained their first foothold on the Arabian Sea coast by seizing the town of Shaqra, 100 km (60 miles) east of Aden, residents told Reuters news agency.
The move gives the rebels control over all the land routes to Aden, a stronghold of forces loyal to Mr Hadi.

Mr Hadi took refuge in the second city of Aden last month after fleeing Sanaa, where he had been under house arrest since the rebels took full control of the capital in January.
On Thursday he fled to Saudi Arabia, from where he travelled to Egypt on Friday to attend an Arab League summit, likely to be dominated by the crisis in Yemen.
In an interview with the BBC at the summit on Thursday night, Yemeni Foreign Minister Riyadh Yassin said no-one was happy about the intervention by the Saudi-led coalition.
But he added: "I think if they completed their mission in the coming few days or few hours it will be stopped. It is a short, sharp campaign which really we have been forced to request."

Mr Yassin said he did not know if Arab leaders would approve a ground offensive, which coalition members have said they are prepared to launch if the raids fail to halt the rebels' advance and force them to negotiate.
Rebel leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi has vowed not to surrender to what he called the "unjustified aggression".
Iran has also criticised the Saudi intervention. "They have to stop," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said on Friday.
"Everybody has to encourage dialogue and national reconciliation in Yemen rather than making it more difficult for Yemenis to come together."
Meanwhile, Mr Saleh, whose supporters are fighting alongside the Houthis, has called for a ceasefire, followed by negotiations.
Yemen has been wracked by instability since the former president stepped down amid massive protests in 2012.

The country's conflict has inflamed sectarian rivalries in the region. In Lebanon, the leader of the powerful Shia Hezbollah militia, Hassan Nasrallah, mocked the Saudi-led offensive.
"Should the region go to war because of Saudi money?" he asked. He said Iran had expanded its influence because the Saudis were "lazy, losers, and... don't take responsibility".
Rebel forces are still fighting Popular Resistance Committees militiamen and Sunni tribesmen loyal to President Hadi in the south.
Saudi and Egyptian warships are also believed to have been deployed to the Bab al-Mandab strait to secure the strategic passage between the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

On Friday, at least 21 Houthis were killed when they were ambushed about 15km (9 miles) north of Aden, witnesses told AFP. Another eight people reportedly died in clashes around Aden's international airport.
The Houthis have said their aim is to replace Mr Hadi's government, which they accuse of being corrupt, and to implement the outcomes of a National Dialogue that was convened after President Saleh was forced to hand over power in 2011.

The Houthis: Zaidi Shia-led rebels from the north, who seized control of Sanaa last year and have since been expanding their control
President Hadi: Fled to Saudi Arabia after rebel forces advanced on his stronghold in the southern city of Aden
Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula: Seen by the US as the most dangerous offshoot of al-Qaeda, AQAP opposes both the Houthis and President Hadi.
Islamic State: A Yemeni affiliate of IS has recently emerged, which seeks to eclipse AQAP

Who is fighting whom?

Failure 'not an option for Saudis'
Yemen crisis: An Iranian-Saudi battleground?
Yemen: Waiting for the war
Meeting the Houthis - and their enemies
The rise of Yemen's Houthi rebels

Germanwings air crash co-pilot Lubitz knew French Alps

by Isabelle Roussel and Biodun Iginla, BBC News, Frankfurt

3 hours ago

The co-pilot suspected of crashing a German airliner into the French Alps, killing himself and 149 others, knew the region from gliding holidays.

A member of the Montabaur flight school where Andreas Lubitz took lessons confirmed to BBC News the co-pilot had flown a glider over the region.
Mr Lubitz was on holiday at the time, several years ago, Dieter Wagner said.
A French newspaper reports that the co-pilot holidayed at a local flying club with his parents from the age of nine.
Investigators are trying to establish what may have motivated Mr Lubitz to seize sole control of the Airbus A320 and crash it.
German prosecutors believe he was concealing an illness from his employer, Germanwings, at the time of the crash.

Data from the voice recorder suggests the 27-year-old purposely started an eight-minute descent into the mountains after locking the pilot out of the flight deck.
There were no survivors when Flight 4U 9525 crashed in a remote Alpine valley on Tuesday while en route from Barcelona in Spain to Duesseldorf in Germany.
Prosecutors say there was no evidence of a political or religious motive for his actions and no suicide note has been found.

'Obsessed' with the Alps

Mr Lubitz flew a glider over the southern French Alps during a holiday with the flight school in Montabaur, his home town, Dieter Wagner told the BBC.
He had been holidaying there before he became a professional airline pilot.
Mr Wagner, who says he last saw the young man five or six years ago, was quoted by French newspaper Le Parisien (in French) as saying the co-pilot had been "passionate about the Alps and even obsessed [with them]".
Another French news outlet, Metro News, reports that Mr Lubitz holidayed with his parents from the age of nine at the flying club in Sisteron, 69km (43 miles) from Le Vernet, a village near the crash site.
Quoting a "friend of his parents", the paper said in its report (in French) the family had stayed at a nearby campsite and Andreas had come across as a "normal boy".

Metro News quoted Francis Keser, a designer at the club in Sisteron, as saying Mr Lubitz had "known the area well".

Lubitz's health timeline

• 2009: Breaks off pilot training while still in his early twenties after suffering "depressions and anxiety attacks", the German tabloid Bild reports, quoting Lufthansa medical files. Resumes training after 18 months of treatment, according to Bild
• 2013: Qualifies "with flying colours" as pilot, according to Lufthansa
• 2013-2015: Medical file quoted by Bild marks him as requiring "specific regular medical examination" but no details are given
• February 2015: Undergoes diagnosis at Duesseldorf University Clinic for an unspecified illness; clinic has clarified the illness was not depression
• 10 March 2015: Again attends Duesseldorf University Clinic
• 24 March 2015:Is believed to have deliberately crashed airliner, killing himself and 149 others
• 26 March 2015: Prosecutors announce that two sick notes have been found torn up at his addresses in Germany

Unanswered questions
What drives people to murder-suicide?
Who was Andreas Lubitz?

Sick notes

According to prosecutors, torn-up sick notes were found at the co-pilot's two addresses in Germany, including one for the day of the crash.
A hospital in the German city of Duesseldorf has confirmed Mr Lubitz was a patient there recently but it denied media reports that he had been treated for depression.

The theory that a mental illness such as depression had affected the co-pilot was suggested by German media, quoting internal aviation authority documents.
They said he had suffered a serious depressive episode while training in 2009.
He reportedly went on to receive treatment for a year and a half and was recommended regular psychological assessment.
Mr Lubitz's employers insisted that he had only been allowed to resume training after his suitability was "re-established".
French police say the search for passenger remains and debris on the mountain slopes could take another two weeks.
In the aftermath of the crash, the EU's aviation regulator, the European Aviation Safety Agency, has urged airlines to adopt new safety rules.
In future, it says, two crew members should be present in the cockpit at all times.

Other incidents thought to be caused by deliberate pilot action

• 29 November 2013: A flight between Mozambique and Angola crashed in Namibia, killing 33 people. Initial investigation results suggested the accident was deliberately carried out by the captain shortly after the first officer (also known as the co-pilot) had left the flight deck.
• 31 October 1999: An EgyptAir Boeing 767 went into a rapid descent 30 minutes after taking off from New York, killing 217 people. An investigation suggested that the crash was caused deliberately by the relief first officer but the evidence was not conclusive.
• 19 December 1997: More than 100 people were killed when a Boeing 737 travelling from Indonesia to Singapore crashed. The pilot - suffering from "multiple work-related difficulties" - was suspected of switching off the flight recorders and intentionally putting the plane into a dive.

Source: Aviation Safety Network

 

Several missing after NYC building collapse

by Biodun Iginla, BBC News, New York

31 minutes ago

At least two people are thought to be missing after an explosion sent flames tearing through a Manhattan building.

The blast, the result of faulty utility work, caused three buildings to collapse on Thursday, injuring 22 people, four critically.
Officials are trying to determine whether one other person who has been reported missing is connected to the incident.
As the fire is contained, families are desperately searching for loved ones.

Fire fighters and medical staff worked overnight to try and douse the flames in Manhattan's East Village.
Nicholas Figueroa, 23, was on a date at a sushi restaurant affected by the explosion and has not been seen since, his brother Tyler said.
His date, who lies in hospital, remembers only stumbling out of the restaurant before losing consciousness.
"I just pray my brother shows up," said Tyler Figueroa.

Authorities are also looking for Moises Lucon, a worker in one of the buildings.
Earlier, officials said they were investigating the cases of six other people who had been reported missing - besides Mr Figueroa and Mr Lucon. The people were all unaccounted for, but their connections to the incident were not clear.
Officials now say that they are only investigating the disappearance of one other person.

Fire fighters spent Friday pouring water on the crumbled wreckage that remained strewn across parked cars and surrounding streets.
Officials said early indications are that the explosion was caused by shoddy plumbing and gas work inside one of the buildings.
Utility inspectors declared the work faulty just an hour before the blast tore through a restaurant that occupied the ground floor and sparked a fire that continues to burn.
Blake Farber, a witness, said he had been walking by the building and smelled gas seconds before the big blast.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio toured the wreckage with other officials. They sidestepped shattered glass and puddles of water as they surveyed damage and thanked the emergency responders.
Mr de Blasio said there were no reports of a gas leak before the explosion, which was so powerful it blew the door off a cafe across the street.
Emergency dispatchers started receiving calls reporting the incident around 15:17 local time (19:17 GMT) on Thursday, and emergency services were on the scene in about three minutes, city officials said.
Manhattan's East Village is a neighbourhood of small businesses, restaurants and apartments. Thick plumes of dark smoke could be seen across Manhattan on Thursday.
For some residents, Friday was also the first time that they could survey the destruction up close.

"I'm totally devastated. For my neighbours, for our neighbourhood. We all look out for one another," Naomi Machado said while crying.
The blast came just over a year after a gas explosion killed eight people and injured around 50 in a building in nearby East Harlem. In that incident, a gas leak was reported just before the blast.