China to go all out for underwater search
Chinese, Malaysian and Australian officials are preparing to meet this coming Sunday in Canberra to discuss the next steps in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.
Malaysia's acting transport minister and the head of the Joint Coordiation Center met on Friday ahead of the Australian meeting.
Both are warning the deep water search could take anywhere from 8 to 12-months.
But both say they're confident they will discover the wreckage of the airliner.
Meanwhile, China will go all out for underwater search for flight MH370, according to China Maritime Search and Rescue Center.
A Chinese Navy vessel with strong underground searching capacities has left for the southern Indian Ocean and is expected to arrive on May 10.
Putin slams Ukraine's air attack, rebels down two helicopters
Russia is slamming Ukraine for its military crackdown in the eastern city of Slavyansk, saying it is going to wipe out all hope for the viability of the Geneva agreements.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is characterizing the operation as possibly "criminal."
He suggests the operation has "crossed out" the agreements reached in Geneva on April 17th.
Moscow also says it is "extremely concerned" for the safety of Russia's presidential special envoy Vladimir Lukin, who is in the conflict zone.
This comes as Ukrainian forces sweep into Slavyansk to try to clear the city of pro-Russian forces.
The fighting has already resulted in two Ukranian helicopters being shot down, with both pilots killed.
Several others have reportedly been wounded in the offensive, which began at dawn on Friday.
Obama threatens broader sanctions on Russia
U.S. President Barack Obama says the U.S. and Germany are prepared to impose broader sanctions on Russia if it continues to destabilize Ukraine.
Obama said at a joint news conference with visiting German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the White House that the sanctions could target Russia's energy, arms and finance sectors.
He added the sanctions are not aimed at "punishing the Russian people," but dissuading Russian President Vladimir Putin from his current course.
Obama also called on Russia to help free observers of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe in Ukraine. He said pro-Russia militants are still holding seven observers, including four Germans.
Russia, Ukraine agree on normal gas transit until end of May
The EU energy commissioner, energy ministers from Russia and Ukraine have met in Warsaw to discuss the Russia-Ukraine gas crisis and agreed that transit would not suffer in any way until the end of May.
Energy Commissioner of EU Guenther Oettinger stated at a press conference that the meeting had been a positive one where an agenda had been constructed for two further meetings in May.
The next meeting will take place in two weeks.
More than 2,500 feared dead following Afghan landslide: official
More than 2,500 people were feared dead in a landslide in the northern Afghan province of Badakhshan on Friday.
The provincial governor says more than 2,500 were missing. It is feared that most of the missing people were died as more than 20 meters of debris covered the houses in a small village.
The landslide occurred after recent heavy rains.
18 killed in Syria car bombings
A pair of car bombings in central Syria have left at least 18 people dead.
The bombings struck in two separate towns in the central province of Hama on Friday.
Friday's attacks come just a day after opposition activists claimed 44-people were killed by an airstrike in Aleppo.
Two subway trains collide in Seoul
Around 200 people have been hurt, after two subway trains collided Friday afternoon in Seoul.
One train slammed into the back of another which had stopped between stations because of a mechanical problem.
So far it appears none of the injuries are life threatening.
Most of the injured are being treated for foot or ankle injuries.
The collision was strong enough to derail two of the cars on the train.
N. China forest fire controlled
Firefighters have put under control a raging fire which extended on Wednesday from Russia to primitive forest to the north of China's Greater Hinggan Mountains.
Firefighting headquarters says as of Friday afternoon, the blaze was basically controlled and only sporadic flames remained in the firing area's southeastern corner.
Chinese forestry authorities have mobilized 1,290 firefighters to quench the fire. They were struggling to put out the fire completely on Friday night.
Beijing outer expressway ring to complete by 2016
A 940-km expressway ring surrounding Beijing will be completed by 2016 to reduce pollution of vehicles passing through the Chinese capital and boost regional development.
A local transport official says the integration of transport infrastructure is a priority for coordinated development of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. |