Indonesia says AirAsia plane tail found, raising black box hopes.Drive Hot News

Indonesia said Wednesday it had found the tail of an AirAsia plane that crashed into the sea with 162 people on board, raising hopes of finding its black boxes and explaining the disaster.

Search and rescue agency chief Bambang Soelistyo said he was sure of the discovery after divers took photographs of the tail, wedged into the seabed 30 metres (100 feet) underwater, on which the company's logo could be seen.

"We have successfully obtained part of the plane that has been our target. The tail portion has been confirmed found," Soelistyo told reporters in Jakarta.

AirAsia Flight 8501 vanished from radar screens during a storm on December 28 when it was flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore. All but seven of those on board were Indonesian.

The Indonesian meteorological agency said weather was the "triggering factor" of the crash in the Java Sea, with ice likely damaging the engines of the Airbus A320-200.
But a much clearer explanation is not possible without the black boxes, which record the pilots' voices as well as flight information. They were housed in the aircraft's tail.

"I am led to believe the tail section has been found. If right part of tail section then the black box should be there," AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes wrote on Twitter after the announcement.

"We need to find all parts soon so we can find all (our) guests to ease the pain of our families. That still is our priority."

Despite a huge operation assisted by US, Russian and other foreign military assets, progress in finding the wreckage of the plane and its passengers has been patchy with stormy weather severely hampering the search. So far 40 bodies have been found, all of them floating at sea.

And despite the discovery of the tail, authorities could not say when the black boxes would be found and retrieved.

One problem is the tail being deep into the seabed, according to chief maritime affairs minister Indroyono Soesilo.

The search for the rest of the plane would now focus on a two-nautical-mile area surrounding the tail, with a remotely controlled mini-submarine a key part of the effort, Soesilo and other senior Indonesian officials told a press conference.

Many of the bodies yet to be recovered were likely in the main parts of the plane that have yet to be found, they said.

Action against air officials -
Indonesia's transport ministry said on Wednesday that it had fired one transport official and disciplined several others in a crackdown following the crash, as it investigated how the flight was able to depart without permission.
Indonesia alleges the plane was flying on an unauthorised schedule when it crashed and AirAsia has since been suspended from flying the Surabaya-Singapore route.

"To date, we have taken action against eight officials -- two from the transport ministry, four from state navigation operator AirNav, and two airport officials," Hadi Mustofa, an official with the transport ministry's public affairs office, 

"One of the transport ministry officials was fired and the other official was temporarily suspended. As for the other six officials, some have been temporarily suspended and some have been transferred."Source AFP.

Gossip.Pallaso, Sheebah Spend Night In One Room Drive Hot News

Latest gossip reaching Drive Hot News online indicates that Pius Mayanja well known as Pallaso and Sheebah Karungi had a fun filled night in Dubai as they slept in a same hotel room.

The two shocked their fans when they ordered to be given one room claiming that they needed to do rehearsals over night before their performance.

Pallaso went a step further to unleash more secrets by posting a photo of them sleeping in one bed.

He captioned the photo “last night was so awesome” message.

He said; “About last night!! Pallaso & Sheebah chilling at the hotel before the show!! Dubai is alright!! #I am very sorry.”

This comes after several rumours made rounds in the media claiming that the two were dating though they have never come out officially to approve or deny the allegations.

Sheebah was also earlier rumoured to be dating fellow musician and rapper Keko, though she denied the rumour.

Gossip.Irene Ntale Hooks Witch Doctor.Drive Hot News

Looks every city babe wants a piece of the self-styled loaded South Africa based businessmen also known as Sangomas.

Just days after city glamour gal Shakira Kayihura was said to have hooked Katsha, snoops have established that Swangz Avenue singer Irene Ntale is secretly seeing Sangoma Eddie Cheune of the Rich Gang.

According to sources close to the ‘Olindaba’ singer, Ntale seems to have hooked Cheune and the two are said to be inseparable lately.

It is also said that the seemingly smitten pair has been spotted together at top city hideouts.

The latest sighting was on Sunday night in Kyaliwajala at comic Patrick Salvado Idringi’s house party meant to celebrate the New Year.

However, the two arrived separately. When Cheune arrived, Ntale who was with her supposedly lover Jonathan Kyeyo at the party, started distancing herself from the Laftaz lounge boss.

“Minutes later, Cheune and Ntale disappeared from the crowd and were later found outside cozying up to each other.

As expected this did not go down well with Jonathan who had come with the singer to the party” intimates an eyewitness.

Snoops are further informed that the singer left the party with Cheune to a destination only God and they know. We are definitely sure; Ntale has some explanations top give Jonathan regarding her worrying closeness to the Sangoma.

Police Rescues Kidnapped Minors.Drive Hot News

Masindi police have rescued two minors from captivity. They are 12-year-old Felix Musinguzi and his 10-year-old brother Pius Kwikiriza.
The duo was reportedly kidnapped by their cousin Ephraim Wobusobozi with intentions of getting a ransom from their parents.
Wobusobozi reportedly picked up the two minors from their home in African Quarters in Masindi town with promises of teaching them how to ride a motorcycle.
He instead went with the minors to Hoima. Moses Ekudot, the Masindi District Police Commander says that they received a call at 9:30pm on Friday evening that, two children had been abducted and their captors were demanding for a ransom of UGX 10M.
Ekudot says they started tracking down the suspects using the phone number they had used to call the parent’s victims.
He says they rescued the minors on Saturday and picked up five suspects including the manager of Super Joint lodge where the kids were found.
The identities of the remaining suspects were not available by the time of filing this story.
According to Ekudot, Wobusobozi fled into hiding and is still at large. James Magadu, the father to 10-year-old brother Pius Kwikiriza describes Wobusobozi as a failed child.
Magadu says they gave Wobusobozi tuition to study at Makerere university he studies for a year and returned to the village and started disturbing the.
Stephen Businge, the father to Musinguzi says he was shocked to see his nephew kidnapping his kid. Businge says the law should take its course adding that, police should charge the suspect so that he can come to his senses.
Magadu and Businge own James stores and Kitengule trader’s wholesale shops respectively in Masindi town

South African singer Solly reveals he is a rape child.Drive Hot News

Popular South African pastor and singer Solly Mahlangu has revealed to his Kenyans fans private details of his conception and birth.

 

Popular South African pastor and singer Solly Mahlangu has revealed to his Kenyans fans private details of his conception and birth.

Solly, who jetted into the country on Tuesday night to headline the gospel concert Groove Party slated for Wednesday night at the Safaricom Stadium, Kasarani, said his mother was raped at the age of 14.

The concert will usher in the New Year.

Raila family awaits post-mortem examination on Fidel's body.Drive Hot News

 The body of Fidel Odinga is removed from his house to be transported to the Lee Funeral Home. A post-mortem examination to determine the cause of his death was scheduled for Monday morning.

The post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death of Cord leader Raila Odinga’s eldest child, Fidel, is scheduled for Monday morning.

Siaya Senator James Orengo told the Nation that the post-mortem examination will be conducted at the Lee Funeral Home, where Fidel’s body is lying.

“Yes, the post-mortem will be done today (Monday), ten or eleven this morning,” Mr Orengo said.

Fidel, 41, was found dead in his bed on Sunday morning by his wife, Lwam Getachew Bekele.

Fidel arrived home early Sunday morning after enjoying a night out with friends.

He had arrived at his residence at Bel Air Country Homes in upmarket Karen at around 2.30am and spent the night in a visitor’s bedroom, apparently in order not to disturb his wife and young child who were sleeping in the main bedroom.

Mr Odinga and his wife, Ida, were the first people to arrive at Fidel’s residence at around 6am on Sunday after being called by Ms Bekele.

Mr Odinga is said to have called a doctor, who confirmed that Fidel was dead.

CID Director Ndegwa Muhoro was among the first government officials to arrive at Fidel’s home, together with forensic detectives.

The government's chief pathologist, Dr Johansen Oduor, was also present as was a family pathologist who could not be immediately identified.

They all spent hours examining the scene where the young Odinga died.

It was not until 6.15pm that the body was taken to the Lee Funeral Home.

Kilimani Police Station CID boss Peter Mungai said three people had recorded statements about Fidel’s movements. 

He said several people, including Fidel’s friends, would be interrogated to establish exactly what happened.

Two dead, scores injured after building collapses in Nairobi’s Huruma estate.Drive Hot News

 Soldiers guard the scene of a collapsed multistorey residential building in the densely populated Huruma estate in Nairobi on January 4, 2014. At least two people were reported dead and scores injured.

At least two people were killed and several others injured on Sunday evening when a seven-storey residential building collapsed in Nairobi’s Huruma estate.

One person died on arrival at Kenyatta National Hospital while a child’s body was retrieved from the rubble, an official from the Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre said.

A rescuer identified as Mary Wangechi said they had managed to pull out three people — one woman and two children — from the rubble during the overnight rescue operation.

The woman was alive but unconscious when she was rescued at around 3.30am, while the girl, aged about four years, was also rescued alive.

“At around 3.30am, we rescued a four-year-old girl from the rubble. We also pulled out a woman who was unconscious but alive.

"Unfortunately, the third person, an infant, was already dead by the time we managed to reach her,’ Ms Wangechi told the Nation.

She expressed fears that more people could still be trapped in the rubble of the building, which collapsed at 8.50pm Sunday night.

NEIGHBOURS HEARD SCREAMS

“At around 1am, we could hear screams from people who were trapped in the rubble.

"The screams have since faded, so we do no not know whether those trapped under the rubble are still alive or dead,” she stated.

She recounted how occupants of the residential block scrambled out of their houses when they were alerted by residents in adjacent blocks that the building was collapsing.

“It is neighbours who started shouting that the building was collapsing. That was when most occupants fled to safety, otherwise we could have witnessed more deaths,” she stated.

The owner of the building, which is said to have partially collapsed last year but was later repaired, was still at large.

City officials said 22 survivors had been pulled out of the rubble but said it was unclear how many others were still trapped.

The collapse of the building sparked a major rescue operation involving scores of police officers, city officials and medical workers, an AFP photographer at the scene said.

Medical workers said more than 20 people had been admitted to local hospitals.

The Kenya Red Cross indicated that 14 casualties had been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Three of them were treated and discharged.

Rescuers had a hard time trying to access the collapsed building because of a big crowd that had gathered at the scene.

SIX FLOORS OCCUPIED

Speaking to a local radio station, Nairobi County official Tom Odongo said six floors of the building were all occupied and a seventh was under construction.

He also said the upper floors were built in quick succession, putting pressure on the lower floors, and added that the construction had not been permitted by local authorities.

"The fault lies with the developer, not the county government, because responsibility starts with the individual," Mr Odongo insisted.

Large numbers of residents also swarmed the site, volunteering to dig through the rubble with their bare hands, although crowds were pushed away by police as heavy lifting machinery and official rescue teams were brought in.

"I'd gone out to watch the Arsenal (football) game when the building collapsed," said Eric Ochieng, a witness and resident of the building.

"I rushed back for my wife and son, and I also pulled out two people and a child in the process."

The collapsed building borders a primary school on one side and a maze of similar, densely populated houses on the other.

The latest tragedy comes barely a month after another residential complex collapsed in Nairobi’s Kaloleni estate, killing eight people and injuring several others.