LA gunman planned to kill 'multiple' TSA agents - FBI

LOS ANGELES - The gunman who allegedly killed a security officer at Los Angeles airport carried a note saying he planned to murder "multiple" agents, officials said Saturday, announcing charges against him.

A prosecutor told how Paul Ciancia allegedly opened fire at "point blank range" on Gerardo Hernandez, the first Transportation Security Agency (TSA) agent killed since the TSA was created after September 11, 2001.

The dead officer's widow meanwhile said she was "truly devastated" by his death. "He was a joyful person, always smiling and took pride in his duty to the American public," said Ana Hernandez.

Ciancia, who used a Smith and Wesson assault rifle and a large stock of ammo in the attack, faces a possible death penalty on charges of murdering a federal officer and committing violence at an international airport.

The gun rampage triggered chaos at LA international (LAX) airport Friday, disrupting over 1,500 flights. The airport only fully reopened Saturday, more than 24 hours later.

Describing how the shooting started, a prosecutor said Ciancia pulled a ".223-caliber M&P-15 assault rifle out of his bag and fired multiple rounds at point-blank range" at Hernandez, 39, shortly after 9:00 a.m. in LAX's Terminal 3.

The shots injured the TSA officer but did not kill him. The 23-year-old gunman then went up a nearby escalator, and came back down to "shoot the wounded officer again," said US Attorney Andre Birotte.

Ciancia then proceeded further into the Terminal, shooting a further four people including two other TSA officers, before being detained after a gunfight with LAX police.

The alleged gunman, who remains in hospital and has not yet answered any questions from investigators, carried a note in his bag indicating that he "targeted" especially TSA officer, for whom he felt "anger and malice."

The handwritten note, found in a bag taken into the airport, showed that he "made a conscious decision to kill multiple TSA employees," said David Bowdich, the head of the FBI's LA office.

"In the note that was handwritten by the defendant, that was signed by the defendant, we found a statement where he made a conscious decision to kill multiple TSA employees," said Bowdich.

"He addressed them at one point in the letter, and stated that he wanted to 'instill fear into their traitorous minds.'"

LA mayor Eric Garcetti said Friday that Ciancia had lots more ammunition when he was arrested. "There were more than 100 more rounds that could have literally killed everybody in that terminal," he said.

An estimated 1,550 scheduled flights with some 167,000 passengers were impacted Friday amid the resulting ground stop, they said.

During the shooting spree, which lasted under 10 minutes, he approached a number of people cowering in the terminal and pointed his gun at them, asking if they "were TSA," according to The LA Times newspaper.

If they answered "no," he moved on, the Times reported, citing witnesses who said he cursed the TSA repeatedly.

"This act of violence reminds us of the risks the brave men and women of TSA face every day as they work to protect the traveling public," said Rand Beers, acting secretary of Homeland Security.

While officials have not released details about the suspect's condition, the Times said he was hospitalized in critical condition after being shot in the head and leg.

The FBI said Ciancia was a Los Angeles resident originally from the eastern state of New Jersey.

Before the shooting, Ciancia texted his younger brother that he might harm himself, The Washington Post reported. This led the shooter's father to contact local New Jersey police, who in turn contacted their counterparts in Los Angeles.

LAPD officers visited Ciancia's home on Friday but could not find him, according to The Post.

The shooting came just weeks ahead of the stressful end-of-year US travel period that includes Thanksgiving -- traditionally the busiest travel time of the year -- and Christmas.

source: interaksyon.com

Bird strike grounds United Air flight to Guam

MANILA,Philippines  -- A United Airlines flight to Guam was cancelled Wednesday morning because of a bird strike, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport flight information service said.

Flight UA-190 was supposed to depart at 10:55 a.m.

Airport authorities are still awaiting an advisory from airline officials on when the flight will proceed.

Bird strikes are a threat to flight safety and, in some cases, have caused accidents with casualties.

source: interaksyon.com

Hackers could haunt global air traffic control – researcher

LAS VEGAS — Air traffic control software used around the world could be exploited by hackers to unleash squadrons of ghost planes to befuddle those entrusted to keep the skies safe, a security researcher said Thursday.

Cyprus-based Andrei Costin demonstrated his findings at a Black Hat gathering of cyber defenders that ends Thursday in Las Vegas.

“This is for information only,” Costin said as he outlined how someone with modest tech skills and about $2,000 worth of electronics could vex air traffic controllers or even stalk celebrities traveling in private jets.

“Everything you do is at your own risk.”

Costin’s target was an ADS-B system in place for aircraft to communicate with one another and with air traffic control systems at airports.

The system, which has been rolled out internationally in recent years in a multi-billion dollar upgrade, was designed to better track aircraft so airport traffic can flow more efficiently.

A perilous flaw is that the system is not designed to verify who is actually sending a message, meaning that those with malicious intent can impersonate aircraft either as pranks or to cause mayhem, according to Costin.

“There is no provision to make sure a message is genuine,” he said.

“It is basically an inviting opportunity for any attacker with medium technical knowledge.”

Air traffic controllers faced with a signal from a fake airplane resort to cross-checking flight plans, putting relevant portions of air space off limits while they work.

“Imagine you inject a million planes; you don’t have that many people to cross-check,” Costin said. “You can do a human resource version of a denial of service attack on an airport.”

Denial of service attacks commonly used by hackers involve overwhelming websites with so many simultaneous online requests that they crash or slow to the point of being useless.

Aviation agencies are adept at identifying and locating “rogue transmitters” on the ground, but not at countering signals from drones or other robotic aircraft becoming more common and available, according to the researcher.

Another danger in the new-generation air traffic control system, according to Costin, is that position, velocity and other information broadcast by aircraft isn’t encrypted and can be snatched from the air.

“Basically, you can buy or build yourself a device to capture this information from airplanes,” Costin said.

He listed potential abuses including paparazzi being able to track private jets carrying celebrities or other famous people.

Costin showed how a friend was able to identify a plane broadcasting the identification numbers of Air Force One, the military jet used by the US president, and plot it on a map on an iPad.

“It can be a very profitable business model for criminals to invest a small amount of money in radios, place them around the world” and then sell jet tracking services or information about flights, the independent researcher said.

“If it was Air Force One, why does Air Force One show itself?” Costin wondered aloud. “It is a very high profile target and you don’t want everyone to know it is flying over your house.”

There are websites with databases matching aircraft registration numbers with listed owners.

source: interaksyon.com

NAIA is Philippines' busiest airport - NSCB

MANILA - NAIA is the Philippines' busiest airport, handling more than half of all passenger traffic in the last decade, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board.

In a report, the NSCB said the airports in the National Capital Region accounted for an average share of 19.4 million passengers or 62.2 percent of all passenger traffic in the country from 2001 to 2011.

"Very important therefore to improve the quality of services and decongest or possibly relocate the NAIA to ensure on-time departures. Maybe even making Raymart and Claudine friends again with the Tulfos?" NSCB said, referring to the brawl between actor Raymart Santiago and company on the one hand, and journalist Ramon Tulfo on the other at the NAIA last month.

The NSCB said a little over half of passenger traffic in Manila airports in 2010 was on domestic flights, with 45.32 percent on international flights, and 0.75 percent using general aviation.

Besides the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, other busy gateways are in Central Visayas, Western Visayas and Davao, with average shares of 11.5 percent, 9.1 percent and 5.1 percent, respectively, of total passenger movement.

Total passenger movement in the country’s airports increased from 19.9 million in 2001 to 52.1 million last year, increasing at an average rate of 10.1 percent per annum.

Aircraft movement - defined as a takeoff or arrival - increased from 343,039 in 2001 to 501,117 last year, or at an average rate of 3.9 percent per annum.

Again, NCR airports accounted for the biggest share at 41.4 percent of the total aircraft movement, followed by Central Luzon, Central Visayas and Western Visayas, which accounted for 14.9 percent, 11.2 percent, and 10.4 percent, respectively, of the national total.

Out of the 85 national airports in 2010, 38 were in Luzon, 22 in the Visayas, and 25 in Mindanao. Ten of them were international airports, five of which were in Luzon, two in the Visayas, and three in Mindanao.

The Philippines had 131 airports in 1976, peaked to 300 in 1994 before dropping to 203 in 2010 because of the closure of private strips.

"It may be noted that the significant decline happened after the Asian financial crisis in 1997. Private airports accounted for 58.1 percent of the total registered airports in the country in 2010," NSCB said.

Aircraft accidents increased from 15 in 2006 to 18 in 2009 but dropped to 14 cases in 2010.

The NSCB said most common causes of the accidents were engine-related or crash landing, accounting for 19 and 10 cases, respectively, out of a total number of 75 in the last six years.

source: interaksyon.com

World's best airlines for passengers traveling with kids

Traveling with children? If you're flying, you may want to choose from among the five airlines recently listed by US News Travel as the world’s most family-friendly.

From specialized sleeping cots and menus, to special play areas in airports, these airlines

go out of the way to provide families with young children the best flight experience

possible.

Emirates

Emirates may be overdoing its slogan “Families come first” but passengers are not

complaining.

Cited by US News Travel as the most friendly, the airline offers an array of services designed to help passengers with children fly with ease.

While on the ground, passengers are welcome to use Emirates' free strollers so they could

ferry their children around the airport.

On long-haul Business and First Class flights, the airline may even offer to snap a Polaroid picture of you and your baby.

According to a report of the news site Emirates 24/7 on Monday, the airline also has special play areas for children flying Economy, and lend wired game consoles to children flying Business and First Class.

The airlines also allows unaccompanied minors aged five to 12 to board its flights,

and provide separate check-in facilities for the young passengers.

Young children are always seated in before all the other passengers to ensure their safety.

Upon touchdown, a special crew helps them get through the immigration and hand them to their designated guardians.

On top of a specialized selection of child-friendly shows and movies in its in-flight

entertainment (ICE), Emirates’ flight crew also prepare special kids’ meals and give out

goodie bags.

British Airways

Emirates 24/7 said United Kingdom’s flag carrier and a sponsor of the London Olympics in June, BritishAirways (BA) is famed for its “feed kids first” policy, which ensures that kids are fed first so their adult companions can enjoy their own meals with less distraction.

The menu, of course, includes healthy dishes of fruits and vegetables.

BA also offers activity packs for three to five-year-olds and for six to 12-year-

olds.

Its in-flight entertainment comes with a “parental lock” that enables adult to block

inappropriate channels for their children.

The best catch is that toddlers get to travel for free but you may need to call the airline in

advance and bring your own Britax booster seat.

Lufthansa

Emirates 24/7 said Europe’s largest airline offers a unique club for its young passengers, JetFriends, which gives them the behind-the-scenes of the aviation industry.

The site includes interactive presentations of Lufthansa’s fleet. German celebrity chef Stefan Marquard, meanwhile, whips up the stylish in-flight menu, which promises to entice even the pickiest travelers.

The airline also provides strollers and baby cots or bassinets, as well as provide for

unaccompanied travel for young children.

Gulf Air

Gulf Air’s army of Sky Nannies are famous the whole world over—where else can you

get free, comprehensive daycare for your children while flying long miles?

Emirates 24/7 said specially-trained Sky Nannies take care of young travelers right from the airport lounge to disembarkation, and provide parents with the much-needed break from childcare.

Forgot to pack something for your baby? Nappies, baby bib, baby wipes, baby lotion,

baby powder, and even cotton bud—you name it, the airline carries extensive baby

supplies for childcare emergencies.

Qantas

Qantas, the “Flying Kangaroo”, along with Lufthansa, Emirates, and British Airways, are ranked

four-star by the consultancy Skytrax, which has also named it one of the ten best airlines

in the world in 2012.

Emirates 24/7 said Qantas provides “Family Zones” in airports across Australia, which are packed with iMacs, toys, and books to keep children entertained before flights.

On board, children are kept entertained by its fun kits, which include action figures and color pencils. It also allows families to arrange special seating for flights. - with Ralph Angelo Ty, VVP, GMA News

source: gmanetwork.com

Raymart-Tulfo fight caught on video, now on YouTube

MANILA, Philippines – The scuffle between journalist Mon Tulfo and actor Raymart Santiago on Sunday has been caught on video and uploaded on the video-sharing site YouTube.

The 59-second video posted by glamchiq00 showed Santiago charging at Tulfo and people trying to stop the fist fight.

The video was uploaded after news broke out earlier in the afternoon about the incident.

Both Tulfo and Santiago were among the top trending topics on microblogging site Twitter because of the incident.

Santiago’s wife, actress Claudine Barretto, said she is challenging Tulfo to show the video which he claims caught her scolding the airport staff. Barretto also appealed to airport authorities to release the CCTV footage to determine who really started the brawl between Tulfo and her husband.

The amateur video was immediately shared on other social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

“I don't know what happened, but from this video, mas hinawakan at inawat si Mon Tulfo ng mga guards than Raymart Santiago. Walang pumigil kay Raymart sa pagsuntok niya kay Mon Tulfo while Tulfo was held down by the airport guards,” journalist Joel Pablo Salud said on Facebook.

“Just saw the Tulfo vs Claudine and Raymart fight. Clearly, Claudine and Raymart were the one beating Mon Tulfo to a pulp,” said Stella Apa on Twitter.

“Just saw the Tulfo -Raymart brawl vid. Whew! Gigil lang si Claudine! Tsk,” said Noel Manito also on Twitter.

“Ayaw ko manghusga kakapirangot na video lang kasi napanuod ko, at hindi naman pinakikita dyan pano nag simula ang gulo kung hindi paano natapos ang gulo eh,” said a comment on YouTube

“Edited na ang mga video. Pwede natin ma-cut ang truth sa video. pwede itago at ipasama ang kapwa tao. Di naman siguro gaganyan ang kabilang kampo kng walang may ngyari na mas matindi doon di, ba?” another comment on YouTube said.

Tulfo said he decided to take a photo of Barretto with his camera when he heard that Barretto was berating an airline employee. Then, Santiago approached him to get the cell phone and that’s when the fight started.

Barreto said she was complaining because the airline left their luggage at Caticlan.

In an interview with dzMM earlier, Santiago claimed that it was Tulfo who threw the first punch.

“Siya ‘yung unang nanuntok, may mga tama rin ako,” the actor said,

“Napakalungkot eh. Kunyari kukuha siya ng video, nag-co-complain kami, normal lang mag-complain. Bakit di siya lumapit, nag-interview? Sasagutin naman namin siya eh. Bakit hindi niya kami tulungan? Bakit hindi niya kami tanunging kung anong nangyari? Kung nagtanong lang siya ano bang nangyayari at sumide siguro sa amin, dahil wala naman kaming kasalanan eh.

“Sinabi ko lang po sa kanya ano po ba ang ginagawa niyo sinuntok na ako,” he said.

After the incident, both camps proceeded the hospital to have a medical exam.

According to the airport police, no one was arrested for the incident and that it is up to the parties involved to file a case.

source: abs-cbnnews.com