PERTH: Searchers hunting for the missing Malaysian jet are "confident" about the position of the aircraft's black box to within "some kilometres" and the signals detected recently emanated from it, the Australian Prime Minister said today.

"It's been very much narrowed down because we've now had a series of detections, some for quite a long period of time," Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

"Nevertheless, we're getting to the stage where the signal from what we are very confident is the black box is starting to fade. We are hoping to get as much information as we can before the signal finally expires," he told reporters in the east Chinese city of Shanghai.

The development comes more than a month after the Beijing-bound Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 Flight MH370 with 239 people, including five Indians, disappeared under mysterious circumstances.

"We are confident that we know the position of the black box flight recorder to within some kilometres. But confidence in the approximate position of the black box is not the same as recovering wreckage from almost 4.5 kilometres beneath the sea or finally determining all that happened on that flight," Abbott said.

The Prime Minister, however, said he would not go into further details until he had briefed Chinese President Xi Jinping personally.

Abbott also offered support to the Chinese relatives mourning their loved ones who were on the plane.

"I grieve with all the bereaved, especially the family and friends of the 154 Chinese victims, and I offer them the assurance that Australia will not rest until we have done everything we can to provide comfort and closure," he said.

An Australian naval aircraft yesterday picked up an underwater signal in the same area where searchers in ships previously detected sounds consistent with a jet's black box.

However, the head of Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) which is leading the search said today that the signal detected yesterday is "unlikely to be related to aircraft black boxes" "The Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre has analysed the acoustic data and confirmed that the signal reported in the vicinity of the Australian Defence Vessel Ocean Shield is unlikely to be related to the aircraft black boxes," Angus Houston said.

"Further analysis continues to be undertaken by Australian Joint Acoustic Analysis Centre," Houston said.

This was the fifth signal that was detected recently.

Australian ship Ocean Shield towing a pinger locater reacquired two signals on Tuesday after detecting two on Saturday. The signals on Saturday were found to be consistent with aircraft black boxes.

"A decision as to when to deploy the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle will be made on advice from experts on board the Ocean Shield and could be some days away," Houston said.

"It is vital to glean as much information as possible while the batteries on the underwater locater beacons may still be active," he said.

"On the information I have available to me, there has been no major breakthrough in the search for MH370. I will provide a further update if, and when, further information becomes available," Houston said.

The JACC said that up to 12 military aircraft, three civil aircraft and 13 ships were part of today's hunt.

Australia has been leading the search since the operation was moved to the Indian Ocean. - PTI

MUZAFFARNAGAR: The Muzaffarnagar Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a record 70 per cent voter turnout yesterday as voters in the riot hit area turned out in large numbers to exercises their franchise.

According to reports from sector magistrates, the voter turnout of displaced riot victims was 75 per cent at old places, while other victims who voted at the rehabilitated places had a voter turnout of 72 per cent, District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma told PTI here today.

More than two thousand people enrolled in the voter list from rehabilitated places also exercised their franchise, he said.

The victims were taken from their rehabilitated places to Phugana, Lank, Lisadh, Hasanpur, Bahawdi, Kutba and Kutbi amid tight security. These were the ones who could not be registered as voters at their new place, Sharma said.

Special arrangements had been taken for the displaced riot victims at the place where they are currently residing, but those who had not been registered voters in relief camps were taken to their native villages amid security, he added.

More than 65 people were killed and hundreds injured while over 50,000 were displaced in riots that had erupted in Muzaffarnagar district and spread to adjoining areas in Uttar Pradesh last year. - PTI 

NEW DELHI: Automobile manufacturer Maruti Suzuki said Friday it will recall 103,311 vehicles, including brands like DZire sedan, Swift hatchback and the Ertiga MUV to replace a faulty 'fuel filler neck' that may lead to leakage.

The company said that it will recall 42,481 units of DZire, 47,237 units of Swift and 13,593 units of Ertiga manufactured between November 12, 2013 and February 4, 2014.

"In the affected vehicles there is a possibility of fuel smell and in extreme condition there may be some fuel leakage, if fuel is filled upto the fuel cap, beyond 'auto cutoff level'," the company said in a statement adding that the recall exercise is limited to only these vehicles. 

"Maruti Suzuki dealers will contact owners of all vehicles in the above mentioned range. The company will replace the 'fuel filler neck' free of cost."

The company added that it discovered the manufacturing fault during regular quality tests in its manufacturing process.

"The new fuel filler neck is being progressively despatched to the dealer workshops. Considering the number of vehicles impacted, the Company is building up stock of the required component at its dealer workshops, before inviting customers," the statement added. - IANS

NEW DELHI: Dubbing as "abhorrent and shocking" SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav's view on rape laws, BJP today said it gives a "very wrong message" in a state where crime against women is not adequately reported.

BJP also asked the Congress to make its stand clear on the issue as one of its supporting party chief has made this statement.

"BJP strongly condemns the statement made by Yadav on women, on rape-related mater and on his suggestion that if by chance he becomes part of the government in 2014, he would make sure that the rape law would be amended," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said here.

Mulayam Singh's view is absolutely abhorrent and shocking, she added.

In a controversial statement, the SP leader had yesterday questioned the death penalty for rape, saying "mistakes" by boys happen sometime.

Taking on Congress, she said, "Congress should come out on this. Are they supporting Mulayam Singh Yadav?" "Where is the Congress party on this matter? she asked and added, "After all a friendly party, SP and its chief has spoken like this, where are you all?" Venting her ire at the National Commission for Women and Congress, Sitharaman said, "NCW, which jumps in, of late on matters which do not have very serious implication, is remaining silent." 

"BJP demands that the country stand up against this kind of oppressive statement being made by a party which is in power, which gives a very negative message in a country which is struggling to come out of situation that the women need more protection and empowerment." 

Attacking the SP government in Uttar Pradesh, she said, "At a time when his government led by his son Akhilesh Yadav is failing repeatedly to protect women in UP, chief of that party and a former Union Minister says that he would amend the law to dilute the seriousness is shocking." 

She said even to suggest that women, who lodge false complaints, would be punished gives a very very wrong message in a state where crimes against women, violence against women are not adequately reported.

Recalling the December 16 gangrape incident, she said, "The entire country stood up to what was happening... Justice Verma Committee submitted a report and law was amended and today we are waiting to see the impact of such an amended law so that women will be far more empowered and they will feel far more secure in the country." 

Referring to the tandoor murder case in which Congress leader Sushil Sharma was involved, she charged that there are many cases against women in which Congress workers are involved including the murder of a youth Congress leader in Latur. - PTI 

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Friday has turned down a plea questioning the clean chit given to the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in connection with the 2002 Gujarat riots.

A bench comprising of Justices H.L. Dattu and S.A. Bobde also declined the plea for reconstituting the Special Investigation Team (SIT) involving retired judges of the apex court on the ground that this option was not good to raise it at this moment. It also turned down the inclusion of a person belonging from the minority community into the SIT.

Soon after the remark, the advocate who had filed the petition, decided to withdraw it and it was allowed by the court. The Supreme Court on April 4 expressed satisfaction over the probes conducted by former CBI director RK Raghavan who headed the SIT in nine cases related to the 2002 riots in Gujarat post Godhra. -ANI