Today marks the third anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that triggered the worst nuclear disaster in Japan.
Asia
Missing Malaysian jet may have disintegrated in mid-air: source
(Reuters) – Officials investigating the disappearance of a Malaysian jet with 239 people on board suspect it may have disintegrated in mid-flight, a senior source said on Sunday, as Vietnam reported a possible sighting of wreckage from the plane. International police agency Interpol confirmed that two passengers on the flight had used stolen Austrian and Italian passports, raising suspicions of foul play. An Interpol spokeswoman said a check of all documents used to board the […]
Malaysia Airlines missing jet: Two listed on passenger manifest not on board
(Reuters) – Two men from Austria and Italy, listed among the passengers on a missing Malaysia Airlines flight, were not in fact on board, officials in both European countries said on Saturday, and at least one of them had had his passport stolen. A passenger manifest issued by Malaysia Airlines after its plane went missing off the Vietnamese coast with 227 passengers and 12 crew included the names of Christian Kozel, 30, from Austria, and […]
Malaysia Airlines missing jet: Searchers spot oil slicks
Vietnamese rescue planes have spotted two oil slicks in the area where a Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 people disappeared over the South China Sea. The jet was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The oil slicks were spotted late on Saturday off the southern tip of Vietnam by air force planes dispatched to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 flight. “Two of our aircraft sighted two oil slicks around 15 to […]
CORRECTED-UPDATE 4-Malaysia Airlines plane missing in South China Sea with 239 people aboard – report
(Corrects number of Indonesians, Indians onboard after airline issued new breakdown of nationalities) * Malaysia Airlines flight loses contact between 1-2 hours after takeoff * Flight failed to check in as scheduled in Vietnamese airspace * Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew * Malaysia, Vietnam and China helping in search efforts By Stuart Grudgings and Anuradha Raghu KUALA LUMPUR, March 8 (Reuters) – A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and […]
Malaysia Airlines plane missing, presumed crashed in South China Sea
(Reuters) – A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew went missing over the South China Sea on Saturday, presumed crashed, as ships and planes from countries closest to its flight path scoured a large search area for any wreckage. Vietnamese state media, quoting a senior naval official, had reported that the Boeing 777-200ER flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had crashed off south Vietnam. Malaysia’s transport minister later denied any crash scene […]
Malaysia Airlines denies crash report, says plane still missing
(Reuters) – A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew went missing over the South China Sea on Saturday, presumed crashed, as ships from countries closest to its flight path scoured a large search area for any wreckage. Vietnamese state media, quoting a senior naval official, had reported that the Boeing 777-200ER flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing had crashed off south Vietnam, but Malaysia’s transport minister later denied any crash scene had […]
Search under way after contact lost with Malaysia Airlines jet
Search and rescue operations are underway after a Malaysian jet carrying 239 people disappeared over the South China Sea. The plane, headed from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, was last detected northeast of Malaysia. Chinese state television said two rescue ships had been dispatched to the South China Sea to help in search and rescue efforts for the missing aircraft. Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam are also taking part in the search for the plane by […]
Malaysia Airlines says 152 Chinese, 38 Malaysians on missing flight
(Reuters) – A missing Malaysia Airlines flight was carrying 152 Chinese, 38 Malaysians, 12 Indonesians and seven Australians among the 227 passengers, the airline said on Saturday. There were also three U.S. citizens, three from France, two passengers each from New Zealand, Ukraine, and Canada, and one each from Italy, Taiwan, the Netherlands and Austria, the airline said in a statement. There were also two infants. Twelve crew members were also on the flight. Flight […]
China’s Xi ramps up military spending in face of worried region
(Reuters) – China announced its biggest rise in military spending in three years on Wednesday, a strong signal from President Xi Jinping that Beijing is not about to back away from its growing assertiveness in Asia, especially in disputed waters. The government said it would increase the defense budget by 12.2 percent this year to 808.23 billion yuan ($131.57 billion), as China seeks to develop more high-tech weapons and to beef up coastal and air […]
At least 11 killed in brazen attack on Pakistani court
(Reuters) – Gunmen burst into a court in a busy shopping area in the center of the Pakistani capital on Monday, killing at least 11 people in a brazen attack likely to shatter any prospect of meaningful peace negotiations with Taliban insurgents. A loud explosion reverberated across central Islamabad just after 9 a.m., followed by bursts of gunfire. Police said at least 30 were wounded. A judge was among those killed. “There was a blast, […]
Thousands protest in Hong Kong vs editor stabbing and erosion of media freedoms
Thousands in Hong Kong took to the streets on Sunday (March 2) to protest the stabbing of a former chief editor in an attack that has fuelled concerns about what many see as an erosion of media freedoms. Holding a banner declaring “they can’t kill us all”, the protesters in black shirts and wearing blue ribbons symbolizing press freedom expressed their shock and anger at the attack last Wednesday (February 26). Shirley Yam, the Vice […]
