Debris not part of missing Malaysia Airlines flight
Objects found in the Indian Ocean earlier in the week were not from missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority has confirmed. It is believed that the debris is from fishing boats.
Malaysia’s Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has confirmed that police and FBI inspections of the pilot of the missing flight’s homemade flight simulator have revealed “nothing sinister”.
Mr Hussein has said that the search will continue for “possible survivors.”
“No matter how remote the odds we will pray, hope against hope, and continue to search for possible survivors,” he said.
Abbott announces 100 days without a boat arrival
It has been 100 days since an asylum seeker boat has arrived on Australian shores, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced yesterday. However, high profile human rights lawyer Julian Burnside QC has spoken out against the Abbott government’s proclamation.
“We know that a number of boats have been intercepted and the people on board have been placed into orange life rafts and sent back,” Burnside told the AAP.
“If the message they’re getting across is that asylum seekers aren’t trying to get to Australia any more, the answer to that is yes, they’re misleading the public.”
Russian foreign minister: Russia has “no intention” of invading Ukraine
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lazarov has said that Russia has “no intention” of invading Kiev-controlled Ukraine. In an interview on Russian state television, Lazarov said that Russia has “absolutely no intention and no interests in crossing the Ukrainian border”. When discussing the current negotiations between Russia and the West, Lazarov said that Russia believes a federal system would be best for the Ukrainian state, giving each region a certain degree of autonomy.
Washington community on alert for second mudslide
The small rural community of Oso, Washington is on alert for a second mudslide, following concerns that wet weather and unstable ground could result in a repeat of last week’s natural disaster. The US Geological Survey has installed instruments such as ground-based laser systems to scan the region several times a day so that residents can be alerted as soon as a possible danger emerges.