4VF News – Daily News Channel

The King of Pop and a likely successor, prince of pop Justin Timberlake, ruled the Billboard Music Awards – though Jackson made a splash via hologram and Timberlake accepted his awards via video from overseas.

A hologram of Michael Jackson made its debut, mirroring the late icon’s signature slick dance moves as some members of the audience became emotional, while Timberlake won seven prizes, including top artist and Billboard 200 album, and accepted the honors outside of the country where he was on tour.

“All the other finalists, Miley, Imagine Dragons, Bruno, Katy, I love you guys, it’s not a competition, but if it is, I won!” Timberlake exclaimed, dancing with his band. “I want to thank everybody on Earth, everybody on Earth, except, except Donald Sterling.”

Timberlake’s idol was featured in hologram form, and it performed “Slave to the Rhythm,” a song from Jackson’s new posthumous album Xscape, along with a plethora of background dancers, beaming lights and fire blasts. It was easily the biggest moment at the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“We tried to do as best we could what we thought Michael would have loved, and those of us who knew Michael really well, we had a good perspective on it,” Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid said backstage. Reid worked on the album and released it. “But the truth is, you can’t ever really know because he wasn’t there.”

Robin Thicke, who won four awards including top Hot 100 song for Blurred Lines, debuted a new song called Get Her Back, aiming to win over his actress-wife Paula Patton after they announced in February they were separating. He sang on bended knee and ended with the line: “I gotta get her back tonight.”

“And most importantly I’d like to thank my wife for her love and support and for putting up with me all these years,” Thicke said onstage when he accepted best R&B song.

The night featured a number of collaborative performances, including an explosive duet from Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, while double winner Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line were crowd favourites when they performed This Is How We Roll. Even Underwood and her hockey player-husband Mike Fisher sang along.

Miley Cyrus performed The Beatles’ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips remotely from the United Kingdom, where she was on tour.

“I have to of course thank all of my amazing fans. … Thank you everybody for making this (expletive) possible – oops I’m on ABC, sorry,” she said when accepting top streaming artist, sticking out her tongue at the end.

Katy Perry, who won top female artist, also performed remotely. Imagine Dragons, however, was present in Las Vegas, where the Billboard Music Awards marked a homecoming for the band. The Las Vegas-based rockers won the five honours, including top duo/group and rock artist.

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“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people that believed in our band, in our small band that started here in Las Vegas from the very beginning,” leader Dan Reynolds told the audience. He then thanked radio, family and management for their support, adding with a yell at the end: “And Billboard!”

Lorde was a double winner, taking home trophies for best new artist and rock song for the ubiquitous hit “Royals.”

“This whole thing started for me with a song that was written when I was 15, which I know everyone knows, but what I want to say is I am 17 and a half now and I’m so thankful,” she said as some of the crowd laugh. “That wasn’t a joke. I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow as a new artist in the spotlight.”

Lorde performed her new hit Tennis Court in her signature black – and showcased her signature twitchy dance moves. Other performers included John Legend, who sang his current No. 1 hit All of Me on piano, a semi-racy Ariana Grande, a sultry Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, who received the icon award and performed at the beginning and end of the three-hour show.

While musicians dominated the awards show, Kendall Jenner turned some heads when she unintentionally creating a big moment during the show. The reality star fumbled over her words – almost pulling a John Travolta – when introducing Australian pop group 5 Seconds of Summer.

“And now we welcome … One …,” the 21-year-old said, seeming to almost say One Direction, as she put her head down.

“Guys, I’m the worst reader.”

A full list of winners from the 2014 Billboard Music Awards is as follows:

Top Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top New Artist: Lorde
Top Male Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Female Artist: Katy Perry
Top Duo/Group: Imagine Dragons
Top Billboard 200 Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Hot 100 Artist: Imagine Dragons
Top Digital Songs Artist: Katy Perry
Top Radio Songs Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Touring Artist: Bon Jovi
Top Social Artist: Justin Bieber
Top Streaming Artist: Miley Cyrus
Top R&B Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Rap Artist: Eminem
Top Country Artist: Luke Bryan
Top Rock Artist: Imagine Dragons
Top Latin Artist: Marc Anthony
Top Dance/Electronic Artist: Daft Punk
Top Christian Artist: Chris Tomlin
Top Billboard 200 Album: Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Top R&B Album: Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Top Rap Album: Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Top Country Album: Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
Top Rock Album: Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
Top Latin Album: Marc Anthony, 3.0
Top Dance/Electronic Album: Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Top Christian Album: Alan Jackson, Precious Memories: Volume II
Top Hot 100 Song: Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Digital Song: Robin Thicke, Featuring T.I. & Pharrell. Blurred Lines
Top Radio Song: Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Streaming Song (Audio): Imagine Dragons, Radioactive
Top Streaming Song (Video): Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
Top R&B Song: Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Rap Song: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton, Can’t Hold Us
Top Country Song: Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, Cruise
Top Rock Song: Lorde, Royals
Top Latin Song: Marc Anthony, Vivir Mi Vida
Top Dance/Electronic Song: Avicii, Wake Me Up!
Top Christian Song: Matthew West, Hello, My Name Is

– AP

The King of Pop and a likely successor, prince of pop Justin Timberlake, ruled the Billboard Music Awards – though Jackson made a splash via hologram and Timberlake accepted his awards via video from overseas.

A hologram of Michael Jackson made its debut, mirroring the late icon’s signature slick dance moves as some members of the audience became emotional, while Timberlake won seven prizes, including top artist and Billboard 200 album, and accepted the honors outside of the country where he was on tour.

“All the other finalists, Miley, Imagine Dragons, Bruno, Katy, I love you guys, it’s not a competition, but if it is, I won!” Timberlake exclaimed, dancing with his band. “I want to thank everybody on Earth, everybody on Earth, except, except Donald Sterling.”

Timberlake’s idol was featured in hologram form, and it performed “Slave to the Rhythm,” a song from Jackson’s new posthumous album Xscape, along with a plethora of background dancers, beaming lights and fire blasts. It was easily the biggest moment at the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

“We tried to do as best we could what we thought Michael would have loved, and those of us who knew Michael really well, we had a good perspective on it,” Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid said backstage. Reid worked on the album and released it. “But the truth is, you can’t ever really know because he wasn’t there.”

Robin Thicke, who won four awards including top Hot 100 song for Blurred Lines, debuted a new song called Get Her Back, aiming to win over his actress-wife Paula Patton after they announced in February they were separating. He sang on bended knee and ended with the line: “I gotta get her back tonight.”

“And most importantly I’d like to thank my wife for her love and support and for putting up with me all these years,” Thicke said onstage when he accepted best R&B song.

The night featured a number of collaborative performances, including an explosive duet from Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, while double winner Luke Bryan and Florida Georgia Line were crowd favourites when they performed This Is How We Roll. Even Underwood and her hockey player-husband Mike Fisher sang along.

Miley Cyrus performed The Beatles’ Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds with Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips remotely from the United Kingdom, where she was on tour.

“I have to of course thank all of my amazing fans. … Thank you everybody for making this (expletive) possible – oops I’m on ABC, sorry,” she said when accepting top streaming artist, sticking out her tongue at the end.

Katy Perry, who won top female artist, also performed remotely. Imagine Dragons, however, was present in Las Vegas, where the Billboard Music Awards marked a homecoming for the band. The Las Vegas-based rockers won the five honours, including top duo/group and rock artist.

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“We wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people that believed in our band, in our small band that started here in Las Vegas from the very beginning,” leader Dan Reynolds told the audience. He then thanked radio, family and management for their support, adding with a yell at the end: “And Billboard!”

Lorde was a double winner, taking home trophies for best new artist and rock song for the ubiquitous hit “Royals.”

“This whole thing started for me with a song that was written when I was 15, which I know everyone knows, but what I want to say is I am 17 and a half now and I’m so thankful,” she said as some of the crowd laugh. “That wasn’t a joke. I’m so thankful that I’ve had the opportunity to learn and grow as a new artist in the spotlight.”

Lorde performed her new hit Tennis Court in her signature black – and showcased her signature twitchy dance moves. Other performers included John Legend, who sang his current No. 1 hit All of Me on piano, a semi-racy Ariana Grande, a sultry Shakira and Jennifer Lopez, who received the icon award and performed at the beginning and end of the three-hour show.

While musicians dominated the awards show, Kendall Jenner turned some heads when she unintentionally creating a big moment during the show. The reality star fumbled over her words – almost pulling a John Travolta – when introducing Australian pop group 5 Seconds of Summer.

“And now we welcome … One …,” the 21-year-old said, seeming to almost say One Direction, as she put her head down.

“Guys, I’m the worst reader.”

A full list of winners from the 2014 Billboard Music Awards is as follows:

Top Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top New Artist: Lorde
Top Male Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Female Artist: Katy Perry
Top Duo/Group: Imagine Dragons
Top Billboard 200 Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Hot 100 Artist: Imagine Dragons
Top Digital Songs Artist: Katy Perry
Top Radio Songs Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Touring Artist: Bon Jovi
Top Social Artist: Justin Bieber
Top Streaming Artist: Miley Cyrus
Top R&B Artist: Justin Timberlake
Top Rap Artist: Eminem
Top Country Artist: Luke Bryan
Top Rock Artist: Imagine Dragons
Top Latin Artist: Marc Anthony
Top Dance/Electronic Artist: Daft Punk
Top Christian Artist: Chris Tomlin
Top Billboard 200 Album: Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Top R&B Album: Justin Timberlake, The 20/20 Experience
Top Rap Album: Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP 2
Top Country Album: Luke Bryan, Crash My Party
Top Rock Album: Imagine Dragons, Night Visions
Top Latin Album: Marc Anthony, 3.0
Top Dance/Electronic Album: Daft Punk, Random Access Memories
Top Christian Album: Alan Jackson, Precious Memories: Volume II
Top Hot 100 Song: Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Digital Song: Robin Thicke, Featuring T.I. & Pharrell. Blurred Lines
Top Radio Song: Robin Thicke Featuring T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Streaming Song (Audio): Imagine Dragons, Radioactive
Top Streaming Song (Video): Miley Cyrus, Wrecking Ball
Top R&B Song: Robin Thicke Feat. T.I. & Pharrell, Blurred Lines
Top Rap Song: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Featuring Ray Dalton, Can’t Hold Us
Top Country Song: Florida Georgia Line Featuring Nelly, Cruise
Top Rock Song: Lorde, Royals
Top Latin Song: Marc Anthony, Vivir Mi Vida
Top Dance/Electronic Song: Avicii, Wake Me Up!
Top Christian Song: Matthew West, Hello, My Name Is

– AP

Bad-girl Rihanna has jumped on the bandwagon making fun of a 16-year-old fan.

When a photo of young Rihanna fan, Alexis Carter, wearing a Rihanna-inspired jumpsuit went viral, she never expected to be mocked by the singer herself.

Friends of Carter starting posting images of her dress on social media, reposting the photo with the hashtag #PromBat.

After seeing the ensemble, Rihanna, 26, posted a picture to Twitter comparing herself with Carter, captioning it with a frowny face.

🙁 pic.twitter.com/tagcvWs9cn

— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 9, 2014

A few minutes later, the music icon fired another picture via Twitter. The picture was of Carter next to the bat logo of the Wu-Tang Clan with the hashtag #PromBat.

She gets it pic.twitter.com/DCqsvPXAjk

— Rihanna (@rihanna) May 9, 2014

With a following at 35 million it’s no wonder the picture spread further, leading the way for a tirade of abuse against the teen.

Carter told Fox Baltimore: “I was very offended. Why throw shade on it when you had on the exact same thing. The poses was different but the outfit wasn’t.”

“She don’t love her fans like she says she does,” she said.

The Baltimore high school student designed the ensemble based on the Alexandre Vauthier jumpsuit Rihanna’s wore at the 2010 Echo Awards in Berlin, bat-wings and all.

A big fan of the Diamonds singer, Carter begged her mum for the outfit, which was made by a family friend.

Carter said the dress was received well at her prom.

“Everybody was saying, ‘Oh my god, I love it. It looks nice. Your body looks good. It’s different,”‘ Carter said.

The next day, however, the teen was surprised to see an image of her had gone viral.

At first she enjoyed the attention, but Carter has since thrown all of Rihanna’s CDs in the bin and wants an apology, reports E! News.

Anne B tweeted: “Our kids didn’t even TRY to save Gotham. RT @YehudahJoy Goin to prom or saving the world”

Another user tweeted a photoshopped picture of Batman’s symbol in the sky replaced with a picture of Carter in her outfit saying: “Then this will finish the job RT @Kidfury We just #PromBat. I almost passed out.”

While some have suggested that Rihanna was only joking, others are slamming the singer for her actions.

One reader commented to E! News online: “By Rihanna posting up and making fun if that 16-year-old girl she encouraged the whole world to bash her fan. She very clearly went negative and people followed her bad example.”

Known for her crazy fashion, Rihanna knows exactly what it feels like to be scrutinised for what she is wearing, so in a showdown of who wore it best, Slate says Carter, “hands down.”

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With Carter’s spread arms and facial expression, she masters the don’t care attitude Rihanna is supposed to have, the website said.

“Instead of teasing her, Rihanna could probably learn a thing or two from her young style protege.”

– FFX Aus

Kiwi singer Lorde has taken out two categories at the 2014 Billboard Music Awards.

The 17-year-old, real name Ella Yelich-O’Connor, was named top new artist, ahead of Ariana Grande, Passenger, Bastille and Capital Cities.

Lorde read her acceptance speech from her cellphone.

“I really don’t want to screw it up,” she said.

“This whole thing started for me with a song that was written when I was 15, which I know everyone knows, but what I want to say is I’m 17-1/2 now and I’m so thankful … to have had the opportunity to grow and learn as a new artist in the spotlight at this time.

“I’m thankful for the dialogue around my work and myself.”

She also took out the award for top rock song for Royals, beating songs from Imagine Dragons, Passenger and Capital Cities.

The singer was not the only one slightly surprised about the ‘rock’ label for her song.

this is me confused about unwittingly having written best ~rock~ song lol dork https://t.co/wQlKkZAXjL

— Lorde (@lordemusic) May 19, 2014

Throughout the show Lorde created a stir with her outfit choice, dressed in a feathered black ensemble with her trademark dark lipstick.

She was dubbed one of the “worst dressed” of the night by Hollywood Life.

Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton described the look as a “gothic bird”.

“Lorde looked like a character that just danced out of The Black Swan,” he blogged.

The teen gave a debut television performance of her latest single, Tennis Court, again dressed in black, and sporting a wide-brimmed hat.

The performance drew harsh criticism on Twitter, many describing her look and signature claw-like dance moves as “witchy” and “weird”.

Lorde was nominated for a total of 12 awards at today’s awards in Las Vegas, entering the awards as a top contender along with rockers Imagine Dragons.

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– Stuff

A hologram of Michael Jackson has made its debut at the Billboard Music Awards, mirroring the late King of Pop’s signature slick dance moves as some members of the audience became emotional.

The hologram performed Slave to the Rhythm, a song from Jackson’s new posthumous album Xscape, along with a plethora of background dancers, beaming lights and fire blasts.

It was easily the biggest moment at the awards show at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Kendall Jenner could take second place for unintentionally creating a big moment during the show. The reality star fumbled over her words – almost pulling a John Travolta – when introducing newcomers 5 Seconds of Summer.

“And now we welcome … One …,” the 21-year-old said, seeming to almost say One Direction, as she put her head down. “Guys, I’m the worst reader.”

Jenner then introduced a video featuring the Australian pop group, who performed their rising hit She Looks So Perfect.

Other performers included Florida Georgia Line and Luke Bryan, who were crowd favorites when they performed This Is How We Roll. Even Carrie Underwood and her hockey player-husband Mike Fisher sang along.

Ariana Grande, who turns 21 next month, was semi-racy when she sang her hit “Problem” in a mini black and white dress alongside rapper Iggy Azalea. Grande was nominated for best new art, but she lost to breakthrough New Zealander Lorde.

Lorde also won top rock song for the ubiquitous hit, Royals. The 17-year-old entered the night as the top contender, along with Imagine Dragons, where the Billboard Music Awards marked a homecoming for the band.

The Las Vegas-based rockers won the night’s first trophy, top rock album, for their 2012 debut, Night Visions.

“We’ve been a band for five years and we played small bars for many of those years, and we wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for people that believed in our band, in our small band that started here in Las Vegas from the very beginning,” leader Dan Reynolds told the audience at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

He then thanked radio, family and management for their support, adding with a yell at the end: “And Billboard!”

Imagine Dragons is also up for the night’s biggest honour, top award. The group will battle Perry, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, and Justin Timberlake, who won top Billboard 200 album and accepted in a video as he’s on tour outside of the country. He sang “thank you” along with his band.

Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez kicked off the awards show with a colourful performance of the World Cup anthem, We Are One (Ole Ola), where Brazilian singer Claudia Leitte also joined in. Robin Thicke and John Legend, whose song All of Me is currently No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, will also perform.

A federal judge ruled Friday that the Billboard Music Awards can use a hologram of the deceased pop icon, rejecting efforts from tech companies seeking to block the digital performance. Jackson died in 2009.

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– AP

Seventy-one days after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, the story of the doomed plane is hitting the silver screen and bookshelves. But is it too soon

The director spruiking one big-screen take on the passenger plane says his film won’t dishonour the memory of its passengers.

Director Rupesh Paul has released a 90-second trailer for the project, which he is currently pitching at the Cannes Film Festival, Variety reported.

The Vanishing Act trailer features thriller-style music, terrified passengers and a love triangle between flight attendants.

But Paul said his partly fictional movie would respect MH370’s real-life passengers and crew.

“I will make sure no passengers will be hurt because of this,” he told Variety.

The Indian director said the “biggest challenge” was the prospect of the plane being discovered, disproving his script’s theory on its disappearance.

If the nail-biting trailer helps him get financing for the project, Paul plans to release a full-length feature in August.

The other silver screen outing is A Dark Reflection by Fact Not Fiction Films, according to a full page ad in The Hollywood Reporter.

“What Happened on Flight 313” it reads and shows a woman silhouetted at the end of a runway.

The runway lights glow behind her while overhead a passenger jet looms in the darkness lit by two harsh white lights.

Meanwhile the first book about the disaster went on sale today with a sinister theory about what might have happened.

Flight MH370 The Mystery doesn’t claim to have any answers but to some extent supports the theory that the aircraft may have been accidentally shot down during a joint Thai-US military exercise in the South China Sea.
Searchers were then possibly led in the wrong direction to cover up the mistake, it suggested.

”In an age where a stolen smart phone can be pinpointed to any location on earth, the vanishing of this aircraft and 227 passengers is the greatest mystery since the Mary Celeste,” the publicity for the book reads.

The book, written by author and journalist Nigel Cawthorne, records the events, emotions and theories unfolding on a backdrop of fruitless searches.

Cawthorne said in the introduction that ”almost certainly” relatives would never be sure what happened to their loved ones.

”Did they die painlessly, unaware of their fate Or did they die in terror in a flaming wreck, crashing from the sky in the hands of a madman”

He said this raised the significance that around the time the plane’s transponder went off at 01.21, New Zealander Mike McKay, working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Thailand, saw a burning plane.

He links that to the joint Thai-US military exercise going on in the South China Sea with personnel from China, Japan, Indonesia and other countries.

”The drill was to involve mock warfare on land, in water and in the air, and would include live-fire exercises,” he wrote.

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”Say a participant accidentally shot down MH370. Such things do happen. No one wants another Lockerbie [Pan Am flight 103 by terrorists in 1988 allegedly in retaliation for a US Navy strike on an Iranian commercial jet six months earlier], so those involved would have every reason to keep quiet about it.”

He suggested through anonymous and contradictory sources, they might release misinformation, leading people to search in the wrong place in an environment so hostile that it would be unlikely anything would ever be found.

”After all, no wreckage has been found in the south Indian Ocean, which in itself is suspicious,” Cawthorne wrote.

”Now I’m not saying that’s what happened but if a black box is found, who is to say that it is from flight MH370 Another black box could have been dropped in the sea 1000 miles from Perth while the search was going on in the South China Sea. In these circumstances, with the amount of disinformation abroad, it is best to be sceptical.”

Irene Burrows, the mother of Australian man Rod Burrows who was on the plane with his wife, Mary, said the book was premature.

”Nobody knows what happened so why would anyone want to put out a book at this stage” she said.

”There’s absolutely no answers. It’s devastating for the families. It’s 10 weeks tomorrow and there’s nothing,” she said.

”There are so many theories that I only want to believe one, that they were all unconscious and didn’t know what was going on.

”That’s my only theory. That keeps me sane. All I want is for somebody to find a bit of plane. My husband wants a black box and I want a bit of plane to let me know just where they are.”

– Tim Barlass and AAP

New Zealand teenage singing sensation Lorde is up for 12 awards at today’s Billboard Awards in Las Vegas.

She’s also set to make history with a performance with a Michael Jackson hologram at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The 17-year-old is only levelled by American alternative rock band Imagine Dragons who are also up for 12 dongs.

They are followed by Justin Timberlake, who has 11 nominations. Timberlake and Las Vegas-based Imagine Dragons will battle Perry, Bruno Mars and Miley Cyrus, who will perform remotely from a tour stop in England, for top artist.

Follow us here as entertainment editor Jule Scherer keeps you updated with what’s happening in Las Vegas.

If you’re on the Stuff app, and this live event isn’t displaying correctly, click here.

Seventy-one days after Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 disappeared, the story of the doomed plane is hitting the silver screen and bookshelves. But is it too soon

The director spruiking one big-screen take on the passenger plane says his film won’t dishonour the memory of its passengers.

Director Rupesh Paul has released a 90-second trailer for the project, which he is currently pitching at the Cannes Film Festival, Variety reported.

The Vanishing Act trailer features thriller-style music, terrified passengers and a love triangle between flight attendants.

But Paul said his partly fictional movie would respect MH370’s real-life passengers and crew.

“I will make sure no passengers will be hurt because of this,” he told Variety.

The Indian director said the “biggest challenge” was the prospect of the plane being discovered, disproving his script’s theory on its disappearance.

If the nail-biting trailer helps him get financing for the project, Paul plans to release a full-length feature in August.

The other silver screen outing is A Dark Reflection by Fact Not Fiction Films, according to a full page ad in The Hollywood Reporter.

“What Happened on Flight 313” it reads and shows a woman silhouetted at the end of a runway.

The runway lights glow behind her while overhead a passenger jet looms in the darkness lit by two harsh white lights.

Meanwhile the first book about the disaster went on sale today with a sinister theory about what might have happened.

Flight MH370 The Mystery doesn’t claim to have any answers but to some extent supports the theory that the aircraft may have been accidentally shot down during a joint Thai-US military exercise in the South China Sea.
Searchers were then possibly led in the wrong direction to cover up the mistake, it suggested.

”In an age where a stolen smart phone can be pinpointed to any location on earth, the vanishing of this aircraft and 227 passengers is the greatest mystery since the Mary Celeste,” the publicity for the book reads.

The book, written by author and journalist Nigel Cawthorne, records the events, emotions and theories unfolding on a backdrop of fruitless searches.

Cawthorne said in the introduction that ”almost certainly” relatives would never be sure what happened to their loved ones.

”Did they die painlessly, unaware of their fate Or did they die in terror in a flaming wreck, crashing from the sky in the hands of a madman”

He said this raised the significance that around the time the plane’s transponder went off at 01.21, New Zealander Mike McKay, working on an oil rig in the Gulf of Thailand, saw a burning plane.

He links that to the joint Thai-US military exercise going on in the South China Sea with personnel from China, Japan, Indonesia and other countries.

”The drill was to involve mock warfare on land, in water and in the air, and would include live-fire exercises,” he wrote.

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”Say a participant accidentally shot down MH370. Such things do happen. No one wants another Lockerbie [Pan Am flight 103 by terrorists in 1988 allegedly in retaliation for a US Navy strike on an Iranian commercial jet six months earlier], so those involved would have every reason to keep quiet about it.”

He suggested through anonymous and contradictory sources, they might release misinformation, leading people to search in the wrong place in an environment so hostile that it would be unlikely anything would ever be found.

”After all, no wreckage has been found in the south Indian Ocean, which in itself is suspicious,” Cawthorne wrote.

”Now I’m not saying that’s what happened but if a black box is found, who is to say that it is from flight MH370 Another black box could have been dropped in the sea 1000 miles from Perth while the search was going on in the South China Sea. In these circumstances, with the amount of disinformation abroad, it is best to be sceptical.”

Irene Burrows, the mother of Australian man Rod Burrows who was on the plane with his wife, Mary, said the book was premature.

”Nobody knows what happened so why would anyone want to put out a book at this stage” she said.

”There’s absolutely no answers. It’s devastating for the families. It’s 10 weeks tomorrow and there’s nothing,” she said.

”There are so many theories that I only want to believe one, that they were all unconscious and didn’t know what was going on.

”That’s my only theory. That keeps me sane. All I want is for somebody to find a bit of plane. My husband wants a black box and I want a bit of plane to let me know just where they are.”

– Tim Barlass and AAP