Security officials in Taiwan had reportedly received warning of possible terrorist attacks in China, several days before Malaysia Airlines MH370 vanished, according to a report in South China Morning Post (SCMP).
However, the Hong Kong-based English newspaper said that there was no indication that the warning was related to the disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER on Saturday.
The paper said that Taiwan's spy chief had received warning of "planned attacks on Beijing airport and the city’s subway system" on March 4, three days after a knife attack on Kunming railway station in China left 29 civilians dead.
National Security Bureau chief Tsai De-sheng, said the report, had told a legislative committee of this today, but did not specify how the warning was passed on to his bureau.
“Security chiefs were believed to have received the alert from China Airlines, following a phone call to the company earlier in the day, from a man speaking in French who claimed he wanted to warn of possible terrorist activity,” wrote SCMP.
The report also said that China Airlines had confirmed that a call was received on March 4, and that the information received had been passed to Taiwan's Civil Aviation Authority and Aviation Police.
Quoting a spokesperson, SCMP also said China Airlines had also circulated an unrelated 'Aviation Security Notice' to all staff, warning of a "significant risk of terrorist attacks and military actions against aviation".
“The spokeswoman said the notice was issued in the wake of the March 1 Kunming railway station attacks in which 29 civilians were hacked to death by rampaging knifemen.”
The spokesman said that although security alerts were circulated from time to time, they are not automatically issued during high-profile events such as the ongoing National People's Congress meetings in Beijing.
Earlier this afternoon, Acting Transport Minister and Defence Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein dismissed as untrue a claim from a group, calling itself the ‘China Martyr Brigade’, that had claimed responsibility over the disappearance of MH370.
“I have seen the open letter. I don’t think there is any sound ground that it is true," Hishammuddin said of a document which has been circulating among journalists, purportedly originating from China.
The letter, signed off anonymously by one ‘leader of the Chinese Martyrs’ Brigade’, had highlighted grievances of the China’s Uighur minority, criticising the Chinese government.
There is no indication that the letter may be related to the warning received in Taiwan.
MH370 went missing after it lost all communications with air traffic control about an hour after taking off at 12.41am from Kuala Lumpur. It was supposed to arrive at 6.30am.
The plane, carrying 239 passengers and crew, is yet to be located.
The latest development comes the search and rescue efforts, including eight countries led by Malaysia, continue without any positive findings despite various reported spotting of debris and oil slicks.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility of a terrorist attack and are investigating at least two individuals who have boarded MH370 with stolen passports.
Malaysian authorities are said that they are working closely with international intelligence officers, including those from US and China.
Teoh El Sen
Mon Mar 10 2014
National Security Bureau chief Tsai De-sheng. Source: nsb.gov.tw
WEF: Piawaian ekonomi mampan harus adil, saksama kepada negara membangun - Tengku Zafrul
Transisi ke arah ekonomi yang mampan harus dilaksanakna secara saksama dan adil, kata Menteri Perdagangam Pelaburan dan Industri Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
Nahas helikopter Lumut: Raja Permaisuri Agong santuni keluarga Mohammad Amirulfaris
Raja Permaisuri Agong berkenan menyantuni keluarga Allahyarham Mohammad Amirulfaris yang terkorban dalam tragedi dua helikopter terhempas di Lumut.
Polis rampas dadah lebih RM2.3 juta, lelaki tempatan ditahan
Polis Johor merampas dadah bernilai lebih RM2.3 juta dalam dua serbuan berasingan di sekitar kawasan Johor Bahru Selatan pada Rabu lalu.
Jalani tempoh perkenalan singkat, warga emas 78 tahun teruja bertemu jodoh semula
"Kami diperkenalkan oleh kawan anak. Pertemuan pertama kami, dia pandang saya dia dah berkenan."
Waspada ejen nikah Siam
Konsulat Malaysia di Songkhla, Ahmad Fahmi Ahmad Sarkawi menasihat rakyat Malaysia yang ingin berkahwin di Selatan Thailand supaya waspada dalam pemilihan ejen.
Twincity Marathon rai golongan OKU
Perbezaan fizikal tidak melunturkan semangat golongan orang kurang upaya (OKU) untuk menyertai acara larian Twincity Marathon sejauh lima kilometer (km) di Cyberjaya hari ini.
Bersatu serah notis kepada enam ahli Parlimen selepas PRK Kuala Kubu Bharu - Hamzah
Bersatu akan mengeluarkan notis berhubung status kedudukan enam ahli Parlimennya yang menyokong Perdana Menteri selepas PRK Kuala Kubu Bharu.
Kemarau: Beting pasir seluas padang bola timbul di Sungai Kelantan
Beting pasir tersebut mula kelihatan sejak pertengahan Ramadan lepas dan saiznya semakin besar dari sehari ke sehari.
Dhobi Ghat Pulau Pinang: Daerah dobi terakhir di Malaysia
Terletak di antara Jalan Air Hitam dan Jalan York, Dhobi Ghat di Pulau Pinang itu telah wujud sejak awal 1800-an.
KBS sasar 8,880 individu sertai KLAS Renang tahun ini
Kementerian Belia dan Sukan (KBS) menyasarkan sebanyak 8,880 individu menyertai Program Kemahiran Latihan Asas Sukan Renang (KLAS Renang) di seluruh negara tahun ini.
Boeing hasrat tawarkan kereta terbang di Asia menjelang 2030
Kereta terbang ini dijangka menawarkan penyelesaian untuk pelbagai bandar di Asia yang sering sesak dengan kenderaan.
Pemberi maklumat Boeing ditemui mati beberapa hari selepas beri keterangan
Bekas pekerja Boeing yang lantang menyuarakan kebimbangan mengenai piawaian keselamatan pengeluaran pesawat syarikat itu ditemui mati.
Berita antarabangsa pilihan sepanjang hari ini
Antara pelbagai berita luar negara yang disiarkan di Astro AWANI, berikut adalah yang paling menjadi tumpuan sepanjang hari ini.
Alaska Airlines batal semua penerbangan pesawat 737 MAX-9 sehingga Sabtu
Alaska Airlines pada Rabu mengumumkan pembatalan semua penerbangan yang melibatkan pesawat Boeing 737 MAX-9 sehingga Sabtu.
Malaysia Airlines bakal peroleh 25 pesawat baharu Boeing 737-8 melalui ALC
Pesawat tersebut mampu meningkatkan kecekapan penggunaan minyak sehingga 15 peratus, sejajar dengan pelan kemampanan Malaysia Airlines.
PM Anwar adakan pertemuan bersama Google, Boeing, Medtronic dan Siemens Healthineers
Usaha Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim untuk menarik pelabur ke Malaysia diteruskan dengan pertemuan bersama empat syarikat gergasi di New York.
Boeing, CAE akan bekerjasama dalam latihan juruterbang
CAE akan menjadi penyedia latihan bertauliah Boeing dan yang pertama menawarkan kurikulum Latihan dan Penilaian Berasaskan Kompetensi (CBTA) Boeing.
Boeing kesan kecacatan baharu pesawat 787 Dreamliner
Pembuat pesawat Amerika Syarikat (AS) Boeing pada Rabu mengenal pasti kecacatan baharu pada jet 787 Dreamliner keluarannya.
Air India beli hampir 500 pesawat Airbus, Boeing
Air India akan membeli sebanyak 190 Boeing 737 Max, 20 pesawat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners dan 10 pesawat Boeing 777-9.
Boeing ucap 'selamat tinggal' kepada model 747
Dianggap sebagai 'Queen of the Skies', model 747 merupakan pesawat pertama di dunia yang mempunyai dua laluan atau lorong dalam pesawat.