介绍:
Plane search has 'best lead so far'
After a month of searching, investigators now have their "most promising" lead yet in finding the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner.
This was announced earlier today by the Chief Coordinator for the search, former Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston.
"The towed pinger-locator deployed from the Australian defense vessel Ocean Shield has detected signals consistent with those emitted by aircraft black boxes. Two separate signal detections have occurred within the northern part of the defined search area. The first detection was held for approximately two hours and twenty minutes. The second detection on the return leg was held for approximately thirteen minutes. Clearly this is a most promising lead and probably in the search so far, it's probably the best information that we've had."
The sounds were heard at a depth of 4,500 meters and Houston said confirmation of whether the signals were from the missing Boeing 777 could take several days.
If the signals can be narrowed further, an unmanned underwater vehicle will be sent to attempt to locate wreckage on the sea floor.
Chinese search vessel, Haixun 01, has also said it briefly heard signals over the weekend in a different search area.
These signals are being investigated with the help of a British naval vessel.
22 trapped in SW China mine flood
Twenty-two workers have been trapped in a flooded coal mine in Qujing City in southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The flooding occurred early this morning in a mine in Qilin District, where 26 workers were working underground
Local authorities have sent rescue teams to the mine.
Four workers have been rescued.
SW China quake injures 32, rescue continues
Staying in Yunnan, the 5.3-magnitude quake that hit Yongshan county on Saturday morning has injured 32 people and affected more than 71,000 others.
Local authorities say five severely injured people are in stable conditions, as relief efforts continue.
The local government has sent emergency supplies to quake victims in temporary shelters.
The tremor has flattened houses, suspended transport and damaged power and communication facilities.
Forty-eight schools have been damaged in six towns.
More than 1,300 rescuers are searching in debris for possibly trapped victims and helping repair roads.
Hagel arrives in China
U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has arrived in Qingdao in eastern China for a four-day visit to the country, his first since taking office.
At the start of the trip, Hagel was scheduled to visit China's sole aircraft carrier, the first official visitor from outside China to board the Liaoning.
Hagel is vising China at the invitation of State Councilor and Defense Minister Chang Wanquan.
Pro-Russian protesters 'storm security HQs in east'
Ukrainian officials say pro-Russian activists in eastern Ukraine have seized state security buildings in the cities of Donetsk and Luhansk.
There were reports that protesters in Luhansk raided the arsenal in the security building.
Police have reacted by blocking roads into Luhansk.
On Sunday protesters broke into the regional government buildings in the two cities and also Kharkiv.
Ukraine's prime minister has accused Russia of sowing unrest in his country's eastern regions as a pretext for dispatching troops across the border.
India's general elections kick off
Indians have begun voting in the world's biggest election, with the ruling Congress party pitted against the Hindu nationalist BJP opposition.
The nine-phase ballot begins on Monday and concludes on the 12th of May and votes will be counted four days after that.
More than 800 million Indians are eligible to vote.
The Congress is being led by Rahul Gandhi, the latest member of India's influential Nehru-Gandhi dynasty.
The BJP is being led by the Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi, who is ahead in all the pre-election surveys.
UN chief congratulates Afghans on "historic" elections
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has congratulated Afghans for the presidential and provincial council elections, calling them historic.
Ban said the elections are an important step forward in Afghanistan's first democratic transition of power.
The votes are being counted as officials say voter turnout was at about 60-percent.
The higher-than-expected rate comes despite threats from the Taliban to disrupt the election.
There are three front-runners in the race, including two former Afghan foreign ministers and a former official from the World Bank.
Forest fire hits Hebei
More than 1,500 people have rushed to deal with a forest fire in Fuping County of north China's Hebei Province.
The fire broke out Sunday morning.
Heavy wind has been fanning the fire, which is spreading along a 5-km long section of the forest.
An investigation into the cause of the fire is also under way.
