A new search area may opened up in the Indian Ocean, as authorities try to trace the whereabouts of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight.

The White House has alluded to the opening of a new search grid in the Indian Ocean following reports via Malaysian authorities that they may have recorded several "pings" from engine data transmitted to satellites upto five hours after the last transponder signal was recorded.

These reports have suggested plane may have flown toward the Indian Ocean.

This would be in the opposite direction of the plane's planned route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

At the same time, Malaysian authorities say they've found no evidence of floating objects thought to have been detected by a Chinese satellite the day after the plane disappeared.

A search yesterday of the area has turned up no evidence of debris.

Over 80 ships and planes from 12 different countries are now combing the waters on both sides of the Malaysian peninsula in the search for the missing plane.

The Malaysia Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, with 239-passangers and crew onboard, disappeared about an hour after takeoff early Saturday morning.

154 onboard are Chinese.

 

 

Russia tells UN it 'does not want war'

Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has told the UN Security Council that Moscow "does not want war" with Ukraine.

Vitaly Churkin says the Kremlin doesn't want any further exacerbation of the situation.

But at the same time, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says Russia will face a 'serious series of steps' from the US and Europe if it takes control of Ukraine's Crimea region. 

Kerry's comments come as people in Crimea prepare to vote on joining Russia in a referendum this Sunday.

Russian authorities have said they will respect the results of the referendum, though the Kremlin has yet to officially say how it intends to respond to the outcome.

John Kerry is due to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov later today in London to discuss the situation.

 

 

 Turkish PM condemns protesters for "terrorizing" before elections

Turkey's Prime Minister is lashing out at demonstrators across his country, accusing them of moving this week to try to disrupt the forthcoming local elections across Turkey.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan is accusing demonstrators of trying to 'incite chaos,' by provoking and terrorizing on the streets.

Erdogan's comments come amid a series of on-going demonstrations this week in different cities across Turkey following the death of a 15-year old.

The 15-year old died Tuesday after falling into an unrecoverable coma when he was hit in the head with a police tear gas canister amid last summer's original demonstrations in Istanbul.

 

 

Egypt's ex-army chief not to run for president

A former Chief of Staff for the Egyptian military has announced he will not be a candidate in the forthcoming presidental elections.

In making the announcement, Sami Anan says he won't be forced into something which will harm Egypt or its armed forces.

Anan is a former military advisor to ousted president Mohammed Morsi.

He's faced criticism from his detractors as being a candidate for the now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood.

Anan's decision not to contest the presidency now leaves only recently-retired military chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi as the only expected candiate from the Egyptian military ranks likely to run for president.

 

 

2 dead, 23 injured after car crashes into crowd at Texas music festival

Two people have been killed and nearly two-dozen injured, after a vehicle plowed into a music festival in Austin, Texas.

Police say a man trying to evade arrest for drunk driving rammed his vehicle through a police barricade at the famous South By Southwest festival in Austin, running down people as he tried to get away.

The suspect was eventually caught after trying to escape on foot.

Of the 23-people injured, 5 are said to be in critical condition.

The suspect is expected to be charged with at least 2-counts of capital murder, which could lead to a possible death sentence if convicted.

 

 

China replaces Germany as 3rd biggest country in patent filing: WIPO

The World Intellectual Property Organization says China has replaced Germany as the number-3 patent filer in the world.

The organization says China filed over 21-thousand international patent applications last year.

That represents an increase of some 15-percent over the previous year.

The Director General of the organization is describing the trend as "exceptional," given China only established its patent law 30-years ago.

The organization's annual report says the United States still leads the world in patent filings, followed by Japan, then China.

 

 

Princess Diana supplied royal phone book to former royal editor Goodman: media

A former royal editor of the 'News of the World' has told a London court that Princess Diana leaked a royal phone book to him.

Clive Goodman has made the revelation amid his trial for phone-hacking.

He says the late-Princess gave him the internal phone book, suggesting she was looking for an "ally" in the media to help her "take on" her estranged husband. 

Princess Diana separated from Prince Charles in 1992 after 11 years of marriage. 

Goodman is currently on trial, accused of paying a police officer for royal phone books connected to a series of phone-hacking cases.

He has denied any wrongdoing.