Malaysian Flight MH370 -- News Updates March 17, 2014

A huge area spanning the rainforests of South East Asia and the landscapes of former Soviet Union republics is now part of the investigation into the fate of Flight MH370

Two MILLION Square Miles To Be Searched, 26 Countries Involved - And Still Not A Trace Of Flight MH370: Hunt For The Missing Plane Stretches From Kazakhstan To Southern Ocean -- Daily Mail

* Kazakhstan says there was no 'unsanctioned use' of its air space
* Malaysia appealed for radar data and search planes to help the hunt
* 26 countries have answered the call, including the U.S. and France
* Australian PM Tony Abbott agreed to help after talking to Malaysia's leader
* Six Australians were on board the flight carrying 239 passengers
* India rejects fear it could have been intended target of 9/11-style attack
* Indian security sources 'rubbish' idea that plane flew near an Indian city
* Searchers still don't know if the aircraft has come down on land or sea
* Total area now being examined amounts to 28million square miles
* That is equivalent to twice the size of Africa or a tenth of the planet

Australia has taken the lead in the hunt for the missing Boeing 777 over the southern Indian Ocean as the list of countries providing assistance rose to 26 today.

The move came as Malaysia's transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein revealed that two million square miles still need to be searched.

Malaysia has appealed for radar data and search planes to help in the unprecedented hunt through a vast swath of Asia stretching north-west into Kazakhstan.

Read more ....

Malaysian Flight MH370 -- News Updates March 17, 2014

MH370: FBI and Interpol involved in search since plane went missing - live -- The Guardian
MH370: final 'good night' from cockpit was spoken by co-pilot: Live -- The Telegraph
Missing Malaysia plane: Search begins in two air corridors -- BBC
25 countries now helping search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 -- CBS/AP
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Get up to speed on the latest developments -- CNN

Boeing 777 hijackers plunged to 5,000ft and used low altitude 'terrain masking' manoeuvre practised by fighter jets to avoid radar detection -- Daily Mail
Search for missing Malaysian plane extends from Australia to Kazakhstan -- AP
Malaysia U-turns on satellite data evidence; unsure when system went off line -- Washington Post
Unclear when plane communications system switched off: official -- Reuters
MH370 flew at 5,000ft and used 'terrain masking' to avoid radar -- The Telegraph
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Timing points to meticulous planning, say pilots -- Christian Science Monitor
Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan detected no unidentified planes when Malaysian jetliner vanished -- Reuters
MH370: missing plane's co-pilot made last verbal communication, officials say -- The Guardian
Co-pilot spoke last words heard from missing Malaysian plane -- Reuters
Was co-pilot showing signs of stress during final transmission from missing Malaysian plane? Officials studying how he spoke 'all right, good night' for clues -- Daily Mail
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: Investigators focus on pilots -- CBS/AP
Missing plane: Now police probe whether passenger who was flight engineer for private jet firm was involved in hijacking -- Daily Mail
Clues Sought in Malaysian Airlines Pilot's Homemade Flight Simulator -- ABC news
Malaysia Airlines Gives New Timeline for Flight 370's Final Communication -- WSJ
Missing jet reveals uncomfortable Malaysian truths -- AP
Frustrations, unknowns mount in search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 -- CNN
Malaysia Airlines Flight 370: China expresses growing rage at Malaysia over missing jet search -- AP
Australian PM: MH370 an 'unfathomed mystery' -- The Telegraph
Timeline: How Malaysia's Flight MH370 went missing -- Reuters
Flight MH370: four unanswered questions -- Tania Branigan, The Guardian