An Airbus 320, operated  by Lufthansa's Germanwings budget airline crashed in southern France on Tuesday en route from Barcelona to Dusseldorf killing all 150 people on board. This is what we know so far about the accident, the victims and the recovery efforts.

Australians Greig and Carol Friday were among 150 people killed on board the Germanwings flight. Photo: Supplied

The victims
Authorities said 150 people were on board flight 4U9525, including 144 passengers and six crew members when it crashed. The passengers included Spaniards,Turks, two Australians, and at least 67 Germans, among them 16 high school students and two teachers who were returning from a study program near Barcelona. The two Australians were Melbourne mother and son Carol and Greig Friday, Foreign Minister Julie Bishop confirmed. 
Opera stars bass-baritone Oleg Bryjak, 54, and contralto Maria Radner, 33, were also on board, flying to their home city of Dusseldorf after starring in Richard Wagner's Siegfried at Barcelona's opera house, the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Radner was travelling with her husband and baby, according to the BBC.
The Germanwings flight 4U9525 was off course as reported by live air traffic website FlightRadar24. Photo: FlightRadar24

The crash site
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The plane crashed near the town of Barcelonnette about 100 kilometres north of the French Riviera city of Nice in the south of France.
Aerial footage of the crash site showed fragments of debris scattered over a large area on the mountain slopes.
The flight
The aircraft landed in Barcelona at 7.57 GMT and had  a scheduled take-off time of 8.35. It had been grounded in Dusseldorf earlier in the day for an hour because of a problem with the nose-wheel door – which Germanwings said had been resolved – and took off more than 25 minutes late from Barcelona for reasons that are not yet clear.
By 9.01, the Airbus was back in the air. All was normal for the next 40 minutes. The Airbus reached a cruising altitude of 38,000 feet at 9:45 in the skies over southern France. Then something went catastrophically wrong and the aircraft went into a steep and terminal descent. For the next eight minutes, the aircraft plunged to earth at a rate of 4000 feet a minute. No mayday signal was sent during the fall. The aircraft remained intact, automatically relaying its altitude, air speed and heading. At 9.47, air traffic controllers implemented an aircraft distress alert, based on its rapid loss of height. At 9.53, all contact was lost.

The reasons
It is not yet known what caused the plane to make a steady and rapid descent from 38,000 feet until it hit a mountainside in the Alps halfway through its 90-minute journey from Barcelona to Dusseldorf. It is known the plane's descent took eight minutes, which is longer than the average three or four minutes that would normally be expected in the case of a sudden midair upset, such as an aerodynamic stall.
Ms Bishop said it would be premature to speculate about the cause of the crash, but noted that Lufthansa was working on the assumption it was an accident.

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The recovery effort
After night fell in southern France on Tuesday, emergency services stopped helicopter flights to the crash site due to safety concerns but police said search teams would stay overnight at altitude. Rescue and crash investigation work would begin again at first light.
Australian consular officials would set up a mobile office in the French town of Gap, near the crash site, to help with the identification and recovery of bodies.
Air travel safety
The Airbus A320 is one of the world's most widely used aircraft, with a plane in the A320 family either taking off or landing every 2.5 seconds, Airbus data shows. But the short-haul, single-aisle A320 has also been at the centre of a dozen fatal accidents since 1988, including in December, when an AirAsia jet crashed into the Java Sea, killing 162 passengers and crew.
With the crash investigation just beginning, airline experts said the A320 was nonetheless an incredibly safe jet. For every million take-offs, the A320 family has 0.14 fatal accidents, a Boeing safety analysis found.
This News is republished from site http://www.smh.com.au/world/germanwings-plane-crash-what-we-know-so-far-20150325-1m7cwg.html






NEW Zealand consumer confidence has risen as Kiwis enjoy cheaper fuel prices and lower fixed home-loan rates, and become more upbeat about the outlook for the economy.
THE Westpac McDermott Miller Consumer Confidence Index latest survey shows that confidence rose to 117.4 in the first three months of 2015, from 114.8 previous three months.

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The current conditions index gained 1.8 points to 113.2 and the expected conditions index rose three points to 120.1.The survey comes as figures show a 1.2 per cent jump in New Zealanders' spending on debit and credit cards in February, faster than some economists had expected, indicating that consumers are becoming more comfortable with their spending power.Perceptions of an improvement in the one-year outlook for the economy showed the biggest gain in the survey, rising 7.3 points to 23.8 per cent."Petrol prices and fixed mortgage rates have continued to fall since the previous survey, while share prices and house prices have continued to rise," said Westpac senior economist Felix Delbruck."Rising consumer confidence is also in keeping with the very strong electronic card spending data we saw over January and February."Mr Delbruck said a regional breakdown in the survey surprised in showing that rural consumers were less gloomy than expected in the face of a low dairy payout and drought conditions in some parts of the country.Confidence in urban centres was "healthy, rather than exuberant".

This news is reprinted from site  http://www.news.com.au/finance/business/cheaper-fuel-lifts-consumer-confidence/story-e6frfkur-1227275431992
News Corp confirms that it will build its investment in APN News and Media to 14.99 per cent, subject to regulatory approval.
APN owns three of New Zealand's top five radio networks and The New Zealand Herald, as well as several major radio networks in Australia and around 20 daily and 80 non-daily newspapers on both sides of the Tasman.
It is also a major provider of outdoor (billboard) advertising in Australia and New Zealand.
It has been reported in the Fairfax press that APN's two largest shareholders - Independent News & Media and Baycliffe, both controlled by Irish billionaire Denis O'Brien - have sold large stakes in a block trade managed by Credit Suisse.
The report that IPN has sold 191 million shares would indicate that it has offloaded its entire shareholding, while Mr O'Brien's investment vehicle Baycliffe's reported sale of 125 million shares would be more than a third of its current 30 per cent stake in APN.
APN is in a trading halt, requested by the company earlier today "pending a potential share sell down by two major shareholders", and was last trading around 94 cents a share.

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Fairfax reports that News Corp paid 88 cents a share for a 10 per cent stake, to add to a 4.9 per cent shareholding it had quietly accumulated.
Shareholdings below 5 per cent do not need to be advised to the market as they are below the substantial shareholder threshold.

This News is reprinted from site http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/news-corp-takes-1499pc-slice-of-apn-news-and-media/6332662?section=business
A Melbourne man has been charged with Tuesday's stabbing murder of teenager Masa Vukotic, as well as six other charges, including rape and assault, after an alleged serious crime spree this morning.
The girl's body was found near a footbridge in Koonung Creek Linear Reserve in Stanton Street in Doncaster on Tuesday night.
Neighbours called triple-0 after they heard screaming, but paramedics were unable to revive the girl, who had been stabbed in the upper body.
Sean Christian Price, a 31-year-old man from Albion, faced an out-of-sessions court hearing on Thursday night after being questioned by police.
He was barefoot, handcuffed and wearing blue prison overalls. He was not represented by a lawyer.
The accused joked with the bail justice when he was asked whether he was born in 1952, a reference to an error on the court documents.
"I must look pretty good for my age," he said.
At the hearing Price was also charged with one count of rape, two counts of robbery and three counts of assault over a violent crime spree in Sunshine earlier in the day.
Police allege he assaulted a 26-year-old man on a footbridge at 10:00am before stealing his mobile phone.
It is alleged he then attempted unsuccessfully to carjack a vehicle belonging to a 77-year-old man on McCracken Street before fleeing on foot.
Price is then accused of going into a business on Harvester Road about 11.20am where he approached a woman and allegedly became violent before physically and sexually assaulting her.
He was remanded in custody and will appear in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on Friday.

School, community remembers Masa Vukotic

A growing floral tribute has been left at the park where Ms Vukotic died on Tuesday night.
Police said her family, who moved to Australia from Montenegro, asked for privacy.
Dr Mary Cannon, the principal of Canterbury Girls Secondary College where the teenager was studying VCE, said the school was shocked and devastated by the tragedy.
"Masa was a very popular and respected student who had close friendships with many students," Dr Cannon said in a statement.
"Our thoughts and wishes are with Masa's family at this incredibly difficult time."
Thousands of people joined a tribute page established on social media in honour of the teenager, with hundreds of people leaving messages of condolence to her family.
 
This News is Reprinted from site http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-19/sean-price-charged-with-murder-of-masa-vukotic/6333804

The Federal Government's battles with the Senate has seen the prospect of a double dissolution election discussed among senior ministers.
Mr Abbott


A spokesman for the Prime Minister has told the ABC "the Government intends to run its full term", but the idea has been brought up at two separate meetings this week - at a leadership group meeting on Monday morning and at a Cabinet dinner that night.
Some ministers present said the idea was quickly dismissed, while others refused to comment or denied the conversation took place.
One senior minister said of Mr Abbott: "He would lead us all to a narcissistic annihilation."
The Coalition has been frustrated with its inability to get some key policies through the Senate, such as the Medicare co-payment and deregulation of higher education.
But a double dissolution election is an unlikely solution to the Government's problems.
ABC's election analyst Antony Green said the Coalition would struggle to remain in office if an election were called now.
"People don't call double dissolutions when they're behind in the polls," he said.
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"A double dissolution is an option you have, it's not an option you invoke if you're behind, if you think you're going to lose.
"So I think some people would view it as being a false threat."
Mr Green also warned the Coalition a double dissolution election risks seeing more minor party and independent candidates elected to the Senate.
"Holding a double dissolution under current electoral laws where you halve the quota would probably double the size of the crossbench," he said.
"So, I don't think it solves any of the Government's problems, it would just weaken them in the Senate."
A Government can only ask the Governor-General for a double dissolution if legislation is rejected by the Senate twice, with at least three months between the two votes.
But it is not an issue on the same scale as the policy battles that have triggered previous double dissolutions.
There have only been six double dissolution elections since Federation, the last one in 1987.

This news is reprinted from site http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-03-18/double-dissolution-discussed-by-government-ministers-twice/6330510
HOMICIDE squad detectives are hunting the killer of schoolgirl Masa Vukotic — and believe he could be a local man.
The 17-year-old was stabbed while on her regular evening walk on a park trail just 500m from her family home, by the Eastern Freeway in Doncaster.
Detective Inspector Mick Hughes said police were probing whether the killer had lain in wait for a random victim or had been stalking Masa for days.
But they were treating it as a random ­attack, possibly by a local.
“My experience tells me people tend to congregate in the areas that they know,” said Insp Hughes.
“All from my aspect, I’d certainly be considering anybody local. People are creatures of habit,” he said.
Masa, a Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College student completing her VCE, was wearing headphones when attacked in daylight at the base of the Koonung Creek Linear Park footbridge at 6.50pm on Tuesday.

Her brutal murder has sent shock waves through the local community.
A man dressed in black clothing was captured on CCTV fleeing the scene, shortly after neighbours heard the teenager’s chilling screams and called 000. The CCTV footage and the seizure of a nearby resident’s outdoor tap — which police believe the killer used to wash his bloodied hands — could prove vital.
The man seen sprinting up Heyington Ave in the footage was carrying what appeared to be a white plastic shopping bag which may have concealed the murder weapon.
Siblings Chloe Benedetti and Matthew Petrucev said they were “shaken” after hurrying to the scene and hearing the evident distress of others.
“You could hear the screams, it was horrible,” Mr Petrucev said.
Insp Hughes said: “We’ve got an open mind as to whether it’s random or not — we are certainly treating it as a random attack.
“This is part of her routine. She has been walking daily. Like a lot of us she’s just out there walking and trying to stay fit.”
Insp Hughes added: “It’s just tragic you can’t do that today.”
He added: “We’ll throw all our resources behind this to ensure the offender is caught.”
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On Wednesday night scores of friends gathered at the crime scene, dressed in pink and laying pink flowers, as it was Masa’s favourite colour.
A fellow student from her college laying flowers with her mother said: “A lot of the year 12s were crying.
“The teachers were all upset too. It’s just weird to think that it’s all just so close to us, when it happens to someone in your own school.”
Friend Carlee said Masa had no enemies and was a good, well-behaved girl.
“She didn’t speak to many people, she kept to herself and had a small group of friends,” Carlee said.
“She wouldn’t have had any enemies. That’s why this has shocked me so much, she’s the last person to have someone want to harm her.”
Neighbours of the Vukotic home, just 500m from where she was killed, expressed disbelief at what had occurred.
Betty Lee said the family, which also included another younger daughter, was very close-knit.
“We are just devastated,” she said. “They are just a really carefree happy family — all of them. They were always out here kicking a ball. They were just really outdoorsy. They are not cottonwool kids.”
Ms Lee added: “We are in absolute shock. The teen was a happy go lucky youth. She was just really nice and sweet — gorgeous.
“Every time I saw her she had a smile on her face.
“Words just can’t describe it. It’s just unimaginable — ­totally unimaginable.”
Investigators hope the garden tap will yield vital forensic evidence as they hunt Masa’s killer.
They seized the tap from the front yard of Heyington Avenue resident Ermanno Di Battista, believing the killer may have used it to wash his bloodstained hands.
“A police officer told me, ‘We think he washed his hands with your tap’,” Mr De Battista said last night.
He added: “It’s terrible. It’s very, very bad.”
His home is on the same street that the man on CCTV was seen sprinting up shortly after the fatal attack.
Young mum Vicky, who lives across the road from where the murder happened, arrived home late yesterday to find the area cordoned off
“It’s terrible — normally it should be really safe in this area,” she said.
“There are so many kids around here because the school is just nearby. And there are so many people just exercising and running.
“It’s scary. It wasn’t even dark, it was daytime. I just want whoever did this to be ­arrested — fast.”
Grace, laying flowers, said: “I go for a walk every day here. It’s just an innocent girl.
“It’s really quiet and there are so many parks around. It’s just sad you can’t go for a walk and be safe.
“I’m sure people won’t be going for a walk tonight that’s for sure.”
Yi Hua Jia, whose 15-year-old daughter walks the path every day, said she and her husband were getting ready for their nightly walk when they heard a scream.
“I just heard screeching,” Mrs Jia said.
She said her husband suggested someone may have fainted or fallen but Mrs Jia said the noise sounded far more serious.
The couple went to investigate and saw a black jacket lying on the road, near the intersection of Stanton St and Heyington Ave.
Mrs Jia said she saw police cars arriving but she said she did not know the full extent of the tragedy until she woke up yesterday.