Tuesday, April 1, 2014

MH370: New last words from cockpit: 'Good night Malaysian three seven zero' - CNN International





  • NEW: Official release the transcript between the plane and air traffic control

  • China has ruled out 11 parts of the Indian Ocean where objects were spotted

  • Tuesday's search for Flight 370 includes 11 planes, 9 ships

  • Source: The plane's turn off course is being considered a "criminal act"




Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) -- They were words heard around the world as investigators searched for the missing Malaysia Airlines plane.


Weeks ago, Malaysian authorities said the last message from the airplane cockpit was, "All right, good night."


The sign-off to air traffic controllers, which investigators said was spoken by the plane's copilot, was among the few concrete details officials released in a mystery that's baffled investigators since the Boeing 777 disappeared with 239 people aboard on March 8.





Looking to past for Flight 370 answers

There's only one problem. It turns out, it wasn't true.





Australia: 'The search area is very large'




MH370: Malaysian investigation failures




Official: We're in the right place








A woman prepares for an event in honor of those aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Sunday, March 30, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Authorities are combing thousands of square miles of the southern Indian Ocean in search of the wreckage of Flight 370, which disappeared March 8. Malaysian authorities declared that the plane had most likely been lost with all aboard in the remote sea far off Australia.A woman prepares for an event in honor of those aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 on Sunday, March 30, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Authorities are combing thousands of square miles of the southern Indian Ocean in search of the wreckage of Flight 370, which disappeared March 8. Malaysian authorities declared that the plane had most likely been lost with all aboard in the remote sea far off Australia.



An underwater search-surveying vehicle sits on the wharf in Perth, Australia, ready to be fitted to a ship to aid in the search for the jet on March 30.An underwater search-surveying vehicle sits on the wharf in Perth, Australia, ready to be fitted to a ship to aid in the search for the jet on March 30.



A girl writes a note during a ceremony for the missing passengers in Kuala Lumpur on March 30.A girl writes a note during a ceremony for the missing passengers in Kuala Lumpur on March 30.



A teary-eyed woman listens from the back as other relatives of Chinese passengers on board Flight 370 speak to reporters March 30 in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Dozens of anguished Chinese relatives demanded that Malaysia provide answers to the fate of those on board.A teary-eyed woman listens from the back as other relatives of Chinese passengers on board Flight 370 speak to reporters March 30 in Subang Jaya, Malaysia. Dozens of anguished Chinese relatives demanded that Malaysia provide answers to the fate of those on board.



An object floating in the southern Indian Ocean is seen from a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft searching for the missing jet on Saturday, March 29. Ships participating in the search retrieved new debris Saturday but no objects linked to missing plane, according to Australian authorities. An object floating in the southern Indian Ocean is seen from a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft searching for the missing jet on Saturday, March 29. Ships participating in the search retrieved new debris Saturday but no objects linked to missing plane, according to Australian authorities.



A Royal New Zealand Air Force member launches a GPS marker buoy over the southern Indian Ocean on March 29.A Royal New Zealand Air Force member launches a GPS marker buoy over the southern Indian Ocean on March 29.



The sole representative of families of passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves a conference at a Beijing hotel on Friday, March 28, after other relatives left en masse to protest the Malaysian government's response to their questions.The sole representative of families of passengers aboard missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 leaves a conference at a Beijing hotel on Friday, March 28, after other relatives left en masse to protest the Malaysian government's response to their questions.



A member of the Royal Australian Air Force is silhouetted against the southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing jet on Thursday, March 27.A member of the Royal Australian Air Force is silhouetted against the southern Indian Ocean during the search for the missing jet on Thursday, March 27.



Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map aboard a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft during a search on March 27.Flight Lt. Jayson Nichols looks at a map aboard a Royal Australian Air Force aircraft during a search on March 27.



People in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, light candles during a ceremony held for the missing flight's passengers on March 27.People in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, light candles during a ceremony held for the missing flight's passengers on March 27.



Crew members of the Chinese icebreaking ship Xuelong scan the Indian Ocean during a search for the missing jet on Wednesday, March 26.Crew members of the Chinese icebreaking ship Xuelong scan the Indian Ocean during a search for the missing jet on Wednesday, March 26.



People work at a console at the British satellite company Inmarsat on Tuesday, March 25, in London.People work at a console at the British satellite company Inmarsat on Tuesday, March 25, in London.



The mother of a passenger who was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 cries at her home in Medan, Indonesia, on March 25.The mother of a passenger who was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 cries at her home in Medan, Indonesia, on March 25.



Australian Defense Minister David Johnston speaks to the media March 25 about the search for the missing jet.Australian Defense Minister David Johnston speaks to the media March 25 about the search for the missing jet.



A family member of a missing passenger reacts after hearing the latest news March 25 in Kuala Lumpur.A family member of a missing passenger reacts after hearing the latest news March 25 in Kuala Lumpur.



Angry relatives of those aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 react in Beijing on Monday, March 24, after hearing that the plane went down over the southern Indian Ocean, according to analysis of satellite data.Angry relatives of those aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 react in Beijing on Monday, March 24, after hearing that the plane went down over the southern Indian Ocean, according to analysis of satellite data.



Grieving relatives of missing passengers leave a hotel in Beijing on March 24.Grieving relatives of missing passengers leave a hotel in Beijing on March 24.



Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, delivers a statement about the flight March 24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Razak's announcement came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it "deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived."Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, delivers a statement about the flight March 24 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Razak's announcement came after the airline sent a text message to relatives saying it "deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH 370 has been lost and that none of those onboard survived."



Relatives of the missing passengers hold a candlelight vigil in Beijing on March 24.Relatives of the missing passengers hold a candlelight vigil in Beijing on March 24.



A member of the Royal Australian Air Force looks out an aircraft during a search for the missing jet March 24.A member of the Royal Australian Air Force looks out an aircraft during a search for the missing jet March 24.



A woman reads messages for missing passengers at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur on March 24.A woman reads messages for missing passengers at a shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur on March 24.



Flight Lt. Josh Williams of the Royal Australian Air Force operates the controls of an AP-3C Orion on Sunday, March 23, after searching the southern Indian Ocean.Flight Lt. Josh Williams of the Royal Australian Air Force operates the controls of an AP-3C Orion on Sunday, March 23, after searching the southern Indian Ocean.



Ground crew members wave to a Japanese Maritime Defense Force patrol plane as it leaves the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, Malaysia, on Sunday, March 23. The plane was heading to Australia to join a search-and-rescue operation.Ground crew members wave to a Japanese Maritime Defense Force patrol plane as it leaves the Royal Malaysian Air Force base in Subang, Malaysia, on Sunday, March 23. The plane was heading to Australia to join a search-and-rescue operation.



A passenger views a weather map in the departures terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, March 22.A passenger views a weather map in the departures terminal of Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, March 22.



A Chinese satellite captured this image, released on March 22, of a floating object in the Indian Ocean, according to China's State Administration of Science. It is a possible lead in the search for the missing plane. Surveillance planes are looking for two objects spotted by satellite imagery in remote, treacherous waters more than 1,400 miles from the west coast of Australia.A Chinese satellite captured this image, released on March 22, of a floating object in the Indian Ocean, according to China's State Administration of Science. It is a possible lead in the search for the missing plane. Surveillance planes are looking for two objects spotted by satellite imagery in remote, treacherous waters more than 1,400 miles from the west coast of Australia.



A member of the Royal Australian Air Force looks down at the Norwegian merchant ship Hoegh St. Petersburg, which took part in search operations Friday, March 21.A member of the Royal Australian Air Force looks down at the Norwegian merchant ship Hoegh St. Petersburg, which took part in search operations Friday, March 21.



The Royal Australian Air Force's Neville Dawson, left, goes over the search area with Brittany Sharpe aboard an AP-3C Orion some 2,500 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia, over the Indian Ocean on March 21.The Royal Australian Air Force's Neville Dawson, left, goes over the search area with Brittany Sharpe aboard an AP-3C Orion some 2,500 kilometers (about 1,500 miles) southwest of Perth, Australia, over the Indian Ocean on March 21.



Satellite imagery provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Thursday, March 20, shows debris in the southern Indian Ocean that could be from Flight 370. The announcement by Australian officials that they had spotted something raised hopes of a breakthrough in the frustrating search. Satellite imagery provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on Thursday, March 20, shows debris in the southern Indian Ocean that could be from Flight 370. The announcement by Australian officials that they had spotted something raised hopes of a breakthrough in the frustrating search.



A closer look at the satellite shot of possible debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.A closer look at the satellite shot of possible debris from Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.



Another satellite shot provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows possible debris from the flight.Another satellite shot provided by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority shows possible debris from the flight.



A closer look at the satellite shot of possible debris.A closer look at the satellite shot of possible debris.



The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's John Young speaks to the media in Canberra, Australia, on March 20 about satellite imagery.The Australian Maritime Safety Authority's John Young speaks to the media in Canberra, Australia, on March 20 about satellite imagery.



A distraught relative of a missing passenger breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Wednesday, March 19.A distraught relative of a missing passenger breaks down while talking to reporters at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Wednesday, March 19.



A relative of missing passengers waits for a news briefing by officials in Beijing on Tuesday, March 18.A relative of missing passengers waits for a news briefing by officials in Beijing on Tuesday, March 18.



A relative of a missing passenger tells reporters in Beijing about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet.A relative of a missing passenger tells reporters in Beijing about a hunger strike to protest authorities' handling of information about the missing jet.



A member of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency joins in a search for the missing plane in the Andaman Sea area around the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra on Monday, March 17.A member of Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency joins in a search for the missing plane in the Andaman Sea area around the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra on Monday, March 17.



Relatives of missing passengers watch a news program about the missing plane as they await information at a hotel ballroom in Beijing on March 17.Relatives of missing passengers watch a news program about the missing plane as they await information at a hotel ballroom in Beijing on March 17.



Malaysian Transportation Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, center, shows maps of the search area at a hotel next to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 17. Malaysian Transportation Minister Hishamuddin Hussein, center, shows maps of the search area at a hotel next to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 17.



U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations Sunday, March 16, in the Indian Ocean.U.S. Navy crew members assist in search-and-rescue operations Sunday, March 16, in the Indian Ocean.



Indonesian personnel watch over high seas during a search operation in the Andaman Sea on Saturday, March 15.Indonesian personnel watch over high seas during a search operation in the Andaman Sea on Saturday, March 15.



A foam plane, which has personalized messages for the missing flight's passengers, is seen at a viewing gallery March 15 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.A foam plane, which has personalized messages for the missing flight's passengers, is seen at a viewing gallery March 15 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.



A member of the Malaysian navy makes a call as his ship approaches a Chinese coast guard ship in the South China Sea on March 15.A member of the Malaysian navy makes a call as his ship approaches a Chinese coast guard ship in the South China Sea on March 15.



A Indonesian ship heads to the Andaman Sea during a search operation near the tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, on March 15.A Indonesian ship heads to the Andaman Sea during a search operation near the tip of Sumatra, Indonesia, on March 15.



Elementary school students pray for the missing passengers during class in Medan, Indonesia, on March 15.Elementary school students pray for the missing passengers during class in Medan, Indonesia, on March 15.



Col. Vu Duc Long of the Vietnam air force fields reporters' questions at an air base in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after a search operation on Friday, March 14.Col. Vu Duc Long of the Vietnam air force fields reporters' questions at an air base in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, after a search operation on Friday, March 14.



Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on Thursday, March 13. The search area for Flight 370 has grown wider. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, efforts are expanding west into the Indian Ocean.Members of the Chinese navy continue search operations on Thursday, March 13. The search area for Flight 370 has grown wider. After starting in the sea between Malaysia and Vietnam, the plane's last confirmed location, efforts are expanding west into the Indian Ocean.



A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13.A Vietnamese military official looks out an aircraft window during search operations March 13.



Malaysian air force members look for debris on March 13 near Kuala Lumpur.Malaysian air force members look for debris on March 13 near Kuala Lumpur.



A relative of a missing passenger watches TV at a Beijing hotel as she waits for the latest news March 13.A relative of a missing passenger watches TV at a Beijing hotel as she waits for the latest news March 13.



A member of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency scans the horizon in the Strait of Malacca on Wednesday, March 12.A member of the Indonesian National Search and Rescue Agency scans the horizon in the Strait of Malacca on Wednesday, March 12.



Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12.Relatives of missing passengers wait for the latest news at a hotel in Beijing on March 12.



Journalists raise their hands to ask questions during a news conference in Sepang on March 12.Journalists raise their hands to ask questions during a news conference in Sepang on March 12.



Indonesian air force officers in Medan, Indonesia, examine a map of the Strait of Malacca on March 12.Indonesian air force officers in Medan, Indonesia, examine a map of the Strait of Malacca on March 12.



A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on Tuesday, March 11.A member of the Vietnamese air force checks a map while searching for the missing plane on Tuesday, March 11.



Iranians Pouri Nourmohammadi, second left, and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, far right, were identified by Interpol as the two men who used stolen passports to board the flight. But there's no evidence to suggest either was connected to any terrorist organizations, according to Malaysian investigators. Malaysian police believe Nourmohammadi was trying to emigrate to Germany using the stolen Austrian passport.Iranians Pouri Nourmohammadi, second left, and Delavar Seyed Mohammad Reza, far right, were identified by Interpol as the two men who used stolen passports to board the flight. But there's no evidence to suggest either was connected to any terrorist organizations, according to Malaysian investigators. Malaysian police believe Nourmohammadi was trying to emigrate to Germany using the stolen Austrian passport.



An Indonesian navy crew member scans an area of the South China Sea bordering Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand on Monday, March 10.An Indonesian navy crew member scans an area of the South China Sea bordering Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand on Monday, March 10.



Vietnam air force Col. Le Huu Hanh is reflected on the navigation control panel of a plane that is part of the search operation over the South China Sea on March 10.Vietnam air force Col. Le Huu Hanh is reflected on the navigation control panel of a plane that is part of the search operation over the South China Sea on March 10.



Relatives of the missing flight's passengers wait in a Beijing hotel room on March 10.Relatives of the missing flight's passengers wait in a Beijing hotel room on March 10.



A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews before returning to search for the missing plane Sunday, March 9, in the Gulf of Thailand.A U.S. Navy Seahawk helicopter lands aboard the USS Pinckney to change crews before returning to search for the missing plane Sunday, March 9, in the Gulf of Thailand.



Members of the Fo Guang Shan rescue team offer a special prayer March 9 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.Members of the Fo Guang Shan rescue team offer a special prayer March 9 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.



A handout picture provided by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency shows personnel checking a radar screen during search-and-rescue operations March 9.A handout picture provided by the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency shows personnel checking a radar screen during search-and-rescue operations March 9.



Italian tourist Luigi Maraldi, who reported his passport stolen in August, shows his current passport during a news conference at a police station in Phuket island, Thailand, on March 9. Two passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight were reportedly traveling on stolen passports belonging to Maraldi and an Austrian citizen whose papers were stolen two years ago.Italian tourist Luigi Maraldi, who reported his passport stolen in August, shows his current passport during a news conference at a police station in Phuket island, Thailand, on March 9. Two passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines flight were reportedly traveling on stolen passports belonging to Maraldi and an Austrian citizen whose papers were stolen two years ago.



Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director of Malaysia Airlines, speaks to journalists March 9 at a Beijing hotel where relatives and friends of the missing flight's passengers are staying.Hugh Dunleavy, commercial director of Malaysia Airlines, speaks to journalists March 9 at a Beijing hotel where relatives and friends of the missing flight's passengers are staying.



Vietnamese air force crew stand in front of a plane at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 9 before heading out to the area between Vietnam and Malaysia where the airliner vanished.Vietnamese air force crew stand in front of a plane at Tan Son Nhat airport in Ho Chi Minh City on March 9 before heading out to the area between Vietnam and Malaysia where the airliner vanished.



Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9.Buddhist monks at Kuala Lumpur International Airport offer a special prayer for the missing passengers on March 9.



The Chinese navy warship Jinggangshan prepares to leave Zhanjiang Port early on March 9 to assist in search-and-rescue operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The Jinggangshan, an amphibious landing ship, is loaded with lifesaving equipment, underwater detection devices and supplies of oil, water and food.The Chinese navy warship Jinggangshan prepares to leave Zhanjiang Port early on March 9 to assist in search-and-rescue operations for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight. The Jinggangshan, an amphibious landing ship, is loaded with lifesaving equipment, underwater detection devices and supplies of oil, water and food.



Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9. The vessel is carrying 12 divers and will rendezvous with another rescue vessel on its way to the area where contact was lost with Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.Members of a Chinese emergency response team board a rescue vessel at the port of Sanya in China's Hainan province on March 9. The vessel is carrying 12 divers and will rendezvous with another rescue vessel on its way to the area where contact was lost with Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.



The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea.The rescue vessel sets out from Sanya in the South China Sea.



A family member of missing passengers is mobbed by journalists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, March 8.A family member of missing passengers is mobbed by journalists at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on Saturday, March 8.



A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported March 8. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10.A Vietnamese air force plane found traces of oil that authorities had suspected to be from the missing Malaysia Airlines plane, the Vietnamese government online newspaper reported March 8. However, a sample from the slick showed it was bunker oil, typically used to power large cargo ships, Malaysia's state news agency, Bernama, reported on March 10.



Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak, center, arrives to meet family members of missing passengers at the reception center at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on March 8.



Malaysia Airlines official Joshua Law Kok Hwa, center, speaks to reporters in Beijing on March 8.Malaysia Airlines official Joshua Law Kok Hwa, center, speaks to reporters in Beijing on March 8.



A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8.A relative of two missing passengers reacts at their home in Kuala Lumpur on March 8.



Wang Yue, director of marketing of Malaysia Airlines in China, reads a company statement during a news conference at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing on March 8. Wang Yue, director of marketing of Malaysia Airlines in China, reads a company statement during a news conference at the Metro Park Lido Hotel in Beijing on March 8.



Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8.Chinese police at the Beijing airport stand beside the arrival board showing delayed Flight 370 in red on March 8.



A woman asks a staff member at the Beijing airport for more information on the missing flight.A woman asks a staff member at the Beijing airport for more information on the missing flight.



A Malaysian man who says he has relatives on board the missing plane talks to journalists at the Beijing airport on March 8.A Malaysian man who says he has relatives on board the missing plane talks to journalists at the Beijing airport on March 8.



Passengers walk past a Malaysia Airlines sign on March 8 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.Passengers walk past a Malaysia Airlines sign on March 8 at Kuala Lumpur International Airport.



Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference on March 8 at a hotel in Sepang. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said.Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Juahari Yahya, front, speaks during a news conference on March 8 at a hotel in Sepang. "We deeply regret that we have lost all contacts" with the jet, he said.




The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370






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Photos: The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370Photos: The search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370



On Tuesday, Malaysia's Transport Ministry released the transcript of the conversations between the Flight 370's cockpit and air traffic control. The final words from the plane: "Good night Malaysian three seven zero."


Malaysian authorities gave no explanation for the discrepancy between the two quotes. And authorities are still trying to determine whether it was the plane's pilot or copilot who said them.


The final quote is routine and is not a sign that anything untoward occurred aboard the flight, said CNN aviation analyst Mary Schiavo.


But the change in wording weeks into the search for the missing plane raises questions about how Malaysian officials have handled the investigation.


"It speaks to credibility issues, unfortunately," Schiavo said.


"We haven't had a straight, clear word that we can have a lot of fidelity in," said Michael Goldfarb, former chief of staff at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration. "We have the tragedy of the crash, we have the tragedy of an investigation gone awry and then we have questions about where we go from here."


Malaysian authorities have defended their handling of the situation.


Read the cockpit transcript


Acting Transportation Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said Monday that authorities were not hiding anything by declining to release some details of the missing flight. Some details are part of ongoing investigations into what happened to the plane, he said.


"We are not hiding anything," he said. "We are just following the procedure that is being set."


Hussein said the transcript released Tuesday offered "no indication of anything abnormal."


Long search ahead


The search for what happened to Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 "could drag on for a very long time," the chief coordinator for the agency organizing the efforts said Tuesday.


"It's not something that's necessarily going to be resolved in the next two weeks, for example," said retired Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, chief coordinator of the Joint Agency Coordination Centre. The center was established on Monday and was in "setting up mode" on Tuesday.


The search area for the plane is extremely broad, "the like of which we probably haven't seen before," Houston told reporters Tuesday. But "our expectation is that it crashed into the southern (Indian) Ocean."





Sources call MH370 turn a 'criminal act'




Clock ticking on search for Flight 370




Timeline of the hunt for Flight 370




Officials revise last words from MH370

On Tuesday, 10 military planes, a civilian jet and nine ships are taking part in the Indian Ocean search, which spans a swath west of Perth that's 120,000 square kilometers (46,300 square miles), officials said.


The last known position for MH370 was around the Malacca Strait. But the plane apparently flew for several hours after that, and "that's the problem," Houston said.


"Essentially, we do not have any precision in where the aircraft entered the water."


Source: Plane's turn considered 'criminal act'


A Malaysian government source told CNN Monday that the airliner's turn off course is being considered a "criminal act," either by one of the pilots or someone else onboard the missing airliner.


And in a background briefing given to CNN, Malaysian investigators said they believed the plane was "flown by someone with good flying knowledge of the aircraft."


Several friends of Capt. Zaharie Ahmad Shah said they refuse to believe he could have been the "criminal" controlling the plane.


A senior Malaysian government official last week told CNN law enforcement analyst Tom Fuentes that authorities have found nothing in days of investigating the two pilots that leads them to any motive, be it political, suicidal or extremist.


Several leads dry up


Potential leads on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 keep coming. So do the setbacks and frustrations.


Weeks of searching have yielded nothing. "What we really need now is to find debris wreckage from the aircraft, and that will change the whole nature of our search because we will then be able to employ high technology to help assist us with the underwater search," Houston said.


Monday's search ended without finding anything significant, Australian officials said. Four orange objects spotted by search aircraft and earlier described as promising turned out be nothing more than old fishing gear, they said.


Chinese ships have checked and ruled out 11 locations in the southern Indian Ocean where suspicious objects had been spotted, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday.


U.S. Navy officials loaded underwater locating gear aboard an Australian naval ship and set out to sea Monday evening, but won't be able to use the equipment until investigators narrow the search zone.


The gear includes a pinger locator that's towed behind a ship and scans for the sound of the locator beacon attached to the plane's flight data recorder. Also onboard is an underwater drone that can scan the ocean floor for debris.


It will take the ship, the Ocean Shield, three days just to get to the search zone, leaving precious little time to locate the plane's flight data recorders before the batteries on its locator beacon run out. The batteries are designed to last 30 days; the plane has been missing for 24 days.


Under favorable sea conditions, the pingers can be heard 2 nautical miles away. But high seas, background noise, wreckage or silt can all make pingers harder to detect.


In this case, searchers barely know where to look at all.


Late last week, the search area shifted more than 600 miles after what authorities described as "a new credible lead." But a Wall Street Journal report Monday night, citing anonymous people familiar with the matter, said before that crews had searched for three days in the wrong location due to "lapses in coordination among countries and companies" trying to find the missing jet.


What happened? Andy Pasztor, one of the reporters who wrote the story, said it boiled down to poor coordination between two parts of the investigation: one dealing with satellite data, and the other one dealing with fuel consumption and aircraft performance.


"And so what we're left with is sort of a three-day gap where it's clear that folks were definitely looking in the wrong place," he said.


Get up to speed


Relatives' demands


Family members of people onboard Flight 370 have accused Malaysian officials of giving them confusing, conflicting information since the plane vanished more than three weeks ago.


On Monday, dozens of Chinese family members visited a Kuala Lumpur temple. They chanted, lit candles and meditated.


"Chinese are kindhearted people," said Jiang Hui, the families' designated representative. "But we can clearly distinguish between the good and evil. We will never forgive for covering the truth from us and the criminal who delayed the rescue mission."


Hishammuddin said Malaysia will hold a high-level briefing for families where experts will explain some of the data and methodology used to guide the search.


He also said authorities have discussed with the families what happens if they are unable to find debris from the missing plane. But he declined to discuss it with reporters Monday, saying "to be fair to the families, that is something I would not want to share with the public at the moment."


READ: Families of newlyweds still waiting


READ: Ocean Shield: A mission of hope and uncertainty in search for Flight 370


READ: Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 surfaces pain of 1977 tragedy


Jim Clancy reported from Kuala Lumpur; Catherine E. Shoichet and Holly Yan wrote from Atlanta. CNN's KJ Kwon, Barbara Starr, Will Ripley, Richard Quest, Nic Robertson, Sara Sidner, Mitra Mobasherat, Kyung Lah and Yuli Yang also contributed to this report.









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Russia eases military pressure but restates Ukraine demands - Irish Times


Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev lays a wreath at the city memorial for the defenders of Sevastopol in Sevastopol yesterday. He is the first senior Russian figure to visit the region since its annexation. Photograph: EPA/Alexander Astafyev/Ria Novosti

Russian prime minister Dmitry Medvedev lays a wreath at the city memorial for the defenders of Sevastopol in Sevastopol yesterday. He is the first senior Russian figure to visit the region since its annexation. Photograph: EPA/Alexander Astafyev/Ria Novosti




Russia has recalled some forces from near Ukraine and its cabinet has paid a controversial visit to annexed Crimea as Germany’s finance minister compared Moscow’s actions to those of Adolf Hitler.


Chancellor Angela Merkel played down Wolfgang Schäuble’s comments yesterday and discussed Ukraine with Russian president Vladimir Putin, who told her about the troop movements while reiterating his concerns about Ukraine and neighbouring Moldova.


“The Russian president informed the chancellor about the partial withdrawal of Russian troops [and] the two discussed further possible steps to stabilise the situation in Ukraine and Transdniestria,” said Dr Merkel’s spokesman.


Transdniestria is a Russian- speaking separatist province of Moldova, propped up by Moscow since breaking with the central government in the early 1990s. Transdniestria adjoins southwest Ukraine and complains that Kiev is imposing a “blockade” on the frontier.




Manoeuvres

After Russia annexed Crimea, one senior Transdniestrian official asked Russia to do the same with his region, fuelling fears that the crisis over Ukraine – the worst to hit East-West relations since the Cold War – threatened to engulf Moldova, another ex-Soviet state whose government is trying to reduce Russian influence and move towards to the EU. Russia’s defence ministry said a battalion from the central military district’s 15th motorised infantry brigade was returning to base near the Volga river after finishing manoeuvres in the Rostov region bordering Ukraine. A battalion can comprise between 300 and 1,200 troops.


The Kremlin said Mr Putin also “stressed the importance of conducting constitutional reforms” in Ukraine, where he wants Kiev to give broad powers to the regions, including largely Russian-speaking eastern areas. Ukraine’s pro-EU leaders say Moscow wants to weaken Kiev’s government to destabilise the country and block its planned integration with the west.


Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and US secretary of state John Kerry spoke by telephone last night, a day after holding talks in Paris. Washington and the EU imposed sanctions on some Russian officials and businessmen after Moscow sent troops into Crimea and then annexed it, claiming to be defending its Russian-speakers from “fascist” supporters of Kiev’s new government.




Sudetenland

“We know all about that from history. Those are the methods that Hitler used to take over the Sudetenland,” Mr Schäuble told students yesterday, referring to the Nazi leader’s claim to be protecting ethnic Germans when he annexed the Czechoslovak region in 1938.


Dr Merkel said later: “I consider the annexation of Crimea to be a unique case.”


Ignoring Ukraine’s protests, Russia’s government held a special meeting on the Black Sea peninsula yesterday.


“No resident of Crimea . . . should lose anything as a result of joining Russia, they should only gain,” said prime minister Dmitry Medvedev, who arrived in Crimea yesterday in the first visit by a senior official since Russia annexed the peninsula.


“This is what people are expecting from us, that we provide the conditions for a stable and decent life and the feeling that they are part of a great nation,” he added. “We must meet these expectations.”


Dmitry Rogozin, an outspoken deputy prime minister, said on Twitter: “Crimea is ours. Basta!”









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Republicans hit a nerve when it comes to Obamacare - CNN





  • Obamacare enrollment deadline has passed

  • But Republicans have embraced it as a campaign issue

  • What about the question of "Obama fatigue" for voters?

  • David Jolly's win in Florida partly attributed to anti-Obamacare sentiment




Washington (CNN) -- Republicans are going all in, hoping that the payout is big. Like control of the Senate, big.


Their big bet: Obamacare.


The deadline to enroll in the Affordable Care Act for the year has come and gone. The Obama administration is touting the enrollment numbers as a successful first year, but Republicans think voter anger over the law is here to stay. And so, Republicans running for Congress and Senate continue to make it central to their campaign.


In the Arkansas Senate race, Republican challenger Tom Cotton is using Obamacare to fund-raise for his race against Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor. The first screen on Cotton's website is a plea for contributions that says, "Obamacare is so bad that Obama doesn't want it. Tell him neither do I."


Fund-raising schemes and campaign advertisements are central to Republican races in red and swing states around the country.


Republican confidence


When Republican David Jolly beat Democrat Alex Sink in Florida's special election for the 13th Congressional District in March, Republicans attributed the win in part to the health care law.


"His (Jolly's) victory shows that voters are looking for representatives who will fight to end the disaster of Obamacare," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and co-chair Sharon Day said in an email blast to reporters after the results were tallied.


The deep-pocketed group Americans for Prosperity is playing in dozens of races around the country, and its sole weapon is Obamacare.


"We do want to make sure that Obamacare is the number one issue in the country," Tim Phillips, president of AFP, said in a recent interview.


The organization, backed by the wealthy partisans David and Charles Koch, has already spent more than $30 million this election cycle and plans to spend a great deal more to ensure that Democrats "have to explain" their support of the law.


Public opinion


Republicans believe they have a winning issue, insisting that Americans are opposed to the law. And most pulling is on their side.


According to the most recent survey conducted just over a week ago by CBS News, 53% of Americans gave the law a thumbs down, compared to 41% saying they approve of it. That's in line with most polls.


But that could be starting to change. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last week found that the gap between approval and disapproval of the law narrowed to 8 points. And a new Washington Post/ABC poll out Monday found that 49% support the law compared to 48% who don't.


Public action


While polls are indicative of voter opinion, they don't indicate voter action. What does, however, is enthusiasm, and Republicans have that on their side. In a midterm election, when people are less likely to vote, voter turnout is critical and Obamacare gives Republicans an advantage.


"This data pretty clearly shows that even though attitudes regarding the ACA are 'baked in' with voters (68% feel strongly one way or another about the issue), the intensity is clearly on the negative side, as GOP voters clearly dislike the new law more than Democrats are in love with it," said GOP pollster Neil Newhouse, a co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies.


Voter apathy is a challenge that Democrats must overcome.


Republican strategy: Invoke doubt


Republicans are hitting a nerve when it comes to Obamacare. They are appealing to their base's mistrust in the President.


Republican Sen. John Barrasso on "Fox News Sunday" alleged the administration is "cooking the books" regarding the program's rollout numbers. This includes the latest number that more than 6 million have enrolled.


And Republicans constantly raise questions: Who are the people enrolling and did they have health insurance beforehand?


Obamacare was pushed by the President and passed by Congress in 2010 with no Republican support as a way to narrow the gap between those with coverage and the tens of millions without it.


White House spokesperson Jay Carney said Republicans are grasping at straws as the law takes hold and people begin to see benefits.


"I know it leaves them with the need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to other means of trying to attack a law that is providing opportunity and security to millions of Americans," Carney said.


Republican risks


Pounding an issue into the ground does bring some risks -- voter annoyance.


A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 53% of Americans are tired of hearing about the law.


Republican pollster Whit Ayers said there's a more powerful factor in voter fatigue: Obama himself.


Six years into a President's term, "people get tired of that person's leadership," he said. "Especially this President's."


Democrats' challenge


The goal is to get Democrats to the polls.


Democrats, however, have a more complicated role that consists largely of defense. While they are being attacked on the campaign trail over the law, they have decided to respond in a multipart way by saying that some of the law is great, but some parts need to be fixed.


That's exactly what endangered Democrats, including Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Alaska's Mark Begich, did when they and several colleagues penned an op-ed laying out the parts of the law that they said need to be changed.


Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an organization that works to elect Democrats to Congress, is fighting back by highlighting the "cost of repeal."


The organization is telling stories of people who live in districts with contested congressional races who say they could not afford health coverage without the Affordable Care Act.


"Americans do not want to repeal the ACA and go back to the days when insurance companies had free rein over health care; they want it fixed and improved. But this Republican Congress is obsessed with a repeal that will force hardworking families into bankruptcy and let insurance companies deny care and drop coverage," Israel said.


It's a difficult way to convince people to turn out to vote, even if public opinion drastically changes in favor of the law.


In the March Florida special election in a swing district in a swing state, the only test case analysts have to monitor in the current political climate, Sink embraced only parts of the law. She also talked about what needs to be fixed, a strategy that didn't work.


But as of now, Democrats don't want to be talking about it. That's why they are focusing on economic issues such as minimum wage and equal pay for women.


New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is a member of Senate Democratic leadership, said people aren't focused on Obamacare.


"Most Americans want to hear something positive. 'What are you going to do for me?' Republicans are going to give them no answers on that," Schumer said.


But former President Bill Clinton said Democrats cautioned against running from the law they championed and passed.


"I thought that Democrats had a tendency to shy away from things they had done that were unpopular, (and) talk about positions they had that were popular. And that my own experience had convinced me -- going back to '94 and even more when I was governor -- that that was always a terrible mistake," Clinton said this week.


CNN's Political Editor Paul Steinhauser and Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this story.









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MH370: Family of newlyweds aboard missing plane 'still waiting' - CNN





  • "Even if he's gone, we want his body," says groom's cousin

  • The 239 people aboard the jetliner are presumed dead

  • Flight 370 vanished while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing




Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (CNN) -- It's been more than three weeks since Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 vanished.


The search for the plane continues, even though authorities have said no one aboard survived.


Still, some families are hoping against hope as they continue to wait -- stuck in a sort of purgatory.


"At this point, we feel we are still waiting," said Mohammad Sahril Shaari.


His cousin, Mohammad Razahan Zamani was on Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 with his new wife, Norli Akmar Hamid.


They were headed to Beijing for their honeymoon. They, along with 237 other people aboard, never arrived.


"If he is no more, we will accept it," Mohammad said, at the same time demanding more evidence of what exactly happened.


"We don't know for sure if (the plane) is in the Indian Ocean. We want to see that plane. Even if he's gone, we want his body -- and this is the wish of all families," Mohammad said.


'I just feel so helpless'


The trip to Beijing was to be his cousin's first out of the country. He'd saved for a year to make it happen.


"He was so excited to go, he was already on the plane. It was just a matter of reaching his destination. I just feel so helpless," Mohammad said.


Flight 370 vanished March 8 while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. Authorities are searching the Indian Ocean for the missing plane but have so far found nothing, leaving families with unanswered questions.


Some have criticized the response and accused Malaysian officials of giving them confusing, conflicting information.


On Monday, dozens of Chinese relatives visited a Kuala Lumpur temple. They chanted, lit candles and meditated. Of the 239 people aboard the flight, 154 were Chinese.


"Chinese are kindhearted people," said Jiang Hui, the families' designated representative. "But we can clearly distinguish between the good and evil. We will never forgive for covering the truth from us and the criminal who delayed the rescue mission."


Jiang asked Malaysia to apologize for announcing March 24 that the plane had crashed, despite the lack of any "direct evidence."


But Mohammad said that he thought authorities were doing the best they could.


"I am satisfied with the ongoing investigation. There are 26 countries involved in this, and I am so thankful to all of them, especially the government of Malaysia," he said.


"I am confident they will find it, but if they don't, I leave it to Allah, maybe this is his wish," Mohammad said.


'This is not the end of things'


He described his cousin as a cheerful guy, someone who liked to joke around and was well-liked by his family. He recalled their childhood together, playing, cycling and having fun.


"We feel his absence. It is a great loss to us," Mohammad said. "We look happy on the outside, but only God knows what is inside me."


On March 24, Malaysia Airlines and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said that the plane went into the southern Indian Ocean and that there were no survivors.


Nothing related to the flight has been found -- no wreckage, no bodies, nothing. That has deepened pain for some.


James Wood, the brother of American passenger Philip Wood, spoke to CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360" when Malaysian authorities made their announcement that the plane had gone down.


He has been unable to say goodbye to his brother without being able to see something that demonstrates without a doubt that Philip died. "I can't, I can't..." he said.


Yet he also said there is comfort in knowing he is not alone.


"We're all human, and we all hurt. We all struggle through things. So I'm not the first one to go through something like this, and I'm certainly not going to be the last one," Wood said.


"I don't like being trite when I say my faith is getting me through this," he continued. "It sounds kind of cliche to say it. It's a hope that we have that this is not the end of all things."


CNN's Sara Sidner reported this story from Kuala Lumpur. Dana Ford reported and wrote this report from Atlanta.









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Republicans hit a nerve when it comes to Obamacare - CNN





  • Obamacare enrollment deadline has passed

  • But Republicans have embraced it as a campaign issue

  • What about the question of "Obama fatigue" for voters?

  • David Jolly's win in Florida partly attributed to anti-Obamacare sentiment




Washington (CNN) -- Republicans are going all in, hoping that the payout is big. Like control of the Senate, big.


Their big bet: Obamacare.


The deadline to enroll in the Affordable Care Act for the year has come and gone. The Obama administration is touting the enrollment numbers as a successful first year, but Republicans think voter anger over the law is here to stay. And so, Republicans running for Congress and Senate continue to make it central to their campaign.


In the Arkansas Senate race, Republican challenger Tom Cotton is using Obamacare to fund-raise for his race against Democratic incumbent Mark Pryor. The first screen on Cotton's website is a plea for contributions that says, "Obamacare is so bad that Obama doesn't want it. Tell him neither do I."


Fund-raising schemes and campaign advertisements are central to Republican races in red and swing states around the country.


Republican confidence


When Republican David Jolly beat Democrat Alex Sink in Florida's special election for the 13th Congressional District in March, Republicans attributed the win in part to the health care law.


"His (Jolly's) victory shows that voters are looking for representatives who will fight to end the disaster of Obamacare," Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and co-chair Sharon Day said in an email blast to reporters after the results were tallied.


The deep-pocketed group Americans for Prosperity is playing in dozens of races around the country, and its sole weapon is Obamacare.


"We do want to make sure that Obamacare is the number one issue in the country," Tim Phillips, president of AFP, said in a recent interview.


The organization, backed by the wealthy partisans David and Charles Koch, has already spent more than $30 million this election cycle and plans to spend a great deal more to ensure that Democrats "have to explain" their support of the law.


Public opinion


Republicans believe they have a winning issue, insisting that Americans are opposed to the law. And most pulling is on their side.


According to the most recent survey conducted just over a week ago by CBS News, 53% of Americans gave the law a thumbs down, compared to 41% saying they approve of it. That's in line with most polls.


But that could be starting to change. A Kaiser Family Foundation poll released last week found that the gap between approval and disapproval of the law narrowed to 8 points. And a new Washington Post/ABC poll out Monday found that 49% support the law compared to 48% who don't.


Public action


While polls are indicative of voter opinion, they don't indicate voter action. What does, however, is enthusiasm, and Republicans have that on their side. In a midterm election, when people are less likely to vote, voter turnout is critical and Obamacare gives Republicans an advantage.


"This data pretty clearly shows that even though attitudes regarding the ACA are 'baked in' with voters (68% feel strongly one way or another about the issue), the intensity is clearly on the negative side, as GOP voters clearly dislike the new law more than Democrats are in love with it," said GOP pollster Neil Newhouse, a co-founder of Public Opinion Strategies.


Voter apathy is a challenge that Democrats must overcome.


Republican strategy: Invoke doubt


Republicans are hitting a nerve when it comes to Obamacare. They are appealing to their base's mistrust in the President.


Republican Sen. John Barrasso on "Fox News Sunday" alleged the administration is "cooking the books" regarding the program's rollout numbers. This includes the latest number that more than 6 million have enrolled.


And Republicans constantly raise questions: Who are the people enrolling and did they have health insurance beforehand?


Obamacare was pushed by the President and passed by Congress in 2010 with no Republican support as a way to narrow the gap between those with coverage and the tens of millions without it.


White House spokesperson Jay Carney said Republicans are grasping at straws as the law takes hold and people begin to see benefits.


"I know it leaves them with the need to go back to the drawing board when it comes to other means of trying to attack a law that is providing opportunity and security to millions of Americans," Carney said.


Republican risks


Pounding an issue into the ground does bring some risks -- voter annoyance.


A Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 53% of Americans are tired of hearing about the law.


Republican pollster Whit Ayers said there's a more powerful factor in voter fatigue: Obama himself.


Six years into a President's term, "people get tired of that person's leadership," he said. "Especially this President's."


Democrats' challenge


The goal is to get Democrats to the polls.


Democrats, however, have a more complicated role that consists largely of defense. While they are being attacked on the campaign trail over the law, they have decided to respond in a multipart way by saying that some of the law is great, but some parts need to be fixed.


That's exactly what endangered Democrats, including Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Alaska's Mark Begich, did when they and several colleagues penned an op-ed laying out the parts of the law that they said need to be changed.


Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, an organization that works to elect Democrats to Congress, is fighting back by highlighting the "cost of repeal."


The organization is telling stories of people who live in districts with contested congressional races who say they could not afford health coverage without the Affordable Care Act.


"Americans do not want to repeal the ACA and go back to the days when insurance companies had free rein over health care; they want it fixed and improved. But this Republican Congress is obsessed with a repeal that will force hardworking families into bankruptcy and let insurance companies deny care and drop coverage," Israel said.


It's a difficult way to convince people to turn out to vote, even if public opinion drastically changes in favor of the law.


In the March Florida special election in a swing district in a swing state, the only test case analysts have to monitor in the current political climate, Sink embraced only parts of the law. She also talked about what needs to be fixed, a strategy that didn't work.


But as of now, Democrats don't want to be talking about it. That's why they are focusing on economic issues such as minimum wage and equal pay for women.


New York Sen. Chuck Schumer, who is a member of Senate Democratic leadership, said people aren't focused on Obamacare.


"Most Americans want to hear something positive. 'What are you going to do for me?' Republicans are going to give them no answers on that," Schumer said.


But former President Bill Clinton said Democrats cautioned against running from the law they championed and passed.


"I thought that Democrats had a tendency to shy away from things they had done that were unpopular, (and) talk about positions they had that were popular. And that my own experience had convinced me -- going back to '94 and even more when I was governor -- that that was always a terrible mistake," Clinton said this week.


CNN's Political Editor Paul Steinhauser and Chief Congressional Correspondent Dana Bash contributed to this story.









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NATO to Discuss Ukraine as Russia Pulls Some Troops Back - Bloomberg


NATO will today seek ways to further ease tensions with Russia over Ukraine a day after President Vladimir Putin began withdrawing forces stationed on his neighbor’s border.


Foreign ministers from North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries convene in Brussels to discuss the fallout from Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Putin told German Chancellor Angela Merkel yesterday that he’d ordered a partial pullout of troops from near Ukraine’s border and Russia’s Defense Ministry said some were returning to their bases after drills ended.


Discussions between the top U.S. and Russian diplomats during the past two days have helped cool investors’ concerns over the Ukraine crisis, the worst standoff between Russia and NATO countries since the fall of the Soviet Union. The ruble gained for a second day, reaching the highest since Feb. 12.


“If there was any geopolitical risk, it’s calmed down and we’re showing some economic momentum,” James Paulsen, chief investment strategist at Wells Capital Management, which manages about $360 billion, said yesterday by phone.


Putin told Merkel of the plans to pull back some troops in a phone call, the German leader’s office said in a statement in Berlin. The leaders also discussed “possible further steps to stabilize the situation in Ukraine and in Transnistria,” a breakaway pro-Russian region of Moldova on Ukraine’s southwest border, according to her office.


Photographer: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images

A man stands near a trainload of modified T-72 Russian tanks at Gvardeyskoe railway... Read More




A man stands near a trainload of modified T-72 Russian tanks at Gvardeyskoe railway station near the Crimean capital Simferopol, on March 31, 2014. Close





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Open
Photographer: Olga Maltseva/AFP/Getty Images

A man stands near a trainload of modified T-72 Russian tanks at Gvardeyskoe railway station near the Crimean capital Simferopol, on March 31, 2014.





‘Constitutional Reforms’


The Russian president’s office said in a statement that the two leaders agreed to continue close cooperation, while saying that Putin stressed the need for “constitutional reforms” in Ukraine that would also reflect the interests of Russian speakers concentrated in the country’s east. Ukraine has spurned Kremlin demands that it grant its regions greater powers.


The ruble strengthened 0.1 percent to 35.0815 per dollar by 12:17 p.m. in Moscow after advancing yesterday by the most since September 2012. That trims this year’s decline to 6.3 percent. The Micex Index (INDEXCF) was little changed at 1,369.15, the highest since Feb. 28. It’s lost 8.8 percent in 2014.


In Russia, a motorized battalion was heading back to its headquarters in the Samara region on the Volga River after exercises near the Ukrainian frontier, the Interfax news service cited the country’s Defense Ministry as saying.


A partial Russian withdrawal would be a “welcome preliminary step” if reports of the troop moves are accurate, U.S. State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in an e-mail. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel told reporters at the Pentagon he couldn’t confirm whether Russia is pulling its troops back.


Photographer: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

Soldiers of the newly founded Ukrainian National Guard take part in military exercises... Read More




Soldiers of the newly founded Ukrainian National Guard take part in military exercises at a shooting range not far from Kiev on March 31, 2014. Close





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Photographer: Sergei Supinsky/AFP/Getty Images

Soldiers of the newly founded Ukrainian National Guard take part in military exercises at a shooting range not far from Kiev on March 31, 2014.





Kerry-Lavrov Call


In Washington, the U.S. House may vote as soon as today on a package of aid to Ukraine’s government. The measure, passed by the Senate last week, includes about $1 billion in loan guarantees and allows $150 million in direct assistance to Ukraine. It also would impose sanctions on Ukrainians and Russians deemed responsible for corruption and violence.


Shrugging off sanctions from the U.S. and its European allies, Putin has justified Russia’s takeover of Crimea as righting a historical wrong that split the region off from Russia when the Soviet Union collapsed.


U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart, Sergei Lavrov, discussed Ukraine in a telephone call yesterday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said. Russia provided no details of the conversation, which took place a day after the two diplomats held four hours of talks in Paris.


At the meeting in Paris, the secretary of state demanded that Russia pull its forces back from the frontier, saying they were “creating a climate of fear and intimidation in Ukraine.”


‘Common Ground’


Kerry, who’s scheduled to attend today’s NATO meeting after a stop in the Middle East, expressed concern that what the U.S. estimates to be 40,000 troops massing on Ukraine’s border may signal Russia is ready to invade.


“Any real progress in Ukraine must include a pullback of the very large Russian force,” Kerry told a news conference.


Lavrov said that while he and Kerry expressed differing views on the reasons behind the crisis, they were in agreement on “the need to seek common ground on the diplomatic path for an exit from this situation that will meet the interests of the Ukrainian people,” according to Russia’s Foreign Ministry.


Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev yesterday paid the first visit to Crimea by a top official since Putin annexed the Black Sea peninsula. He pledged to create a special economic zone in the region and to raise state salaries to the Russian average by July.


“No resident of Crimea or Sevastopol should lose anything as a result of joining Russia, they should only gain,” Medvedev told a government meeting in the Crimean capital, Simferopol.


Granting Citizenship


Russia is in the process of granting citizenship and contracts to 7,800 Crimean military personnel who asked to join Russian forces, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolay Pankov said.


“We’re not forcing anyone,” Pankov said in an interview in Simferopol. “We’re not trying to convince anyone. We’re being genuine and respectful to everyone.”


Medvedev’s trip without the agreement of Ukraine is “a crude violation of the existing norms in international communication,” Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Yevhen Perebyinis said in televised remarks. The ministry will monitor “such defiant provocation and anti-Ukrainian steps by the Russian Federation,” he said.


Acting Ukrainian President Oleksandr Turchynov dismissed the Kremlin’s demands for more regional autonomy in his country. “Russia’s leaders should deal with the problems of the Russian Federation, not Ukraine’s problems,” he said in a statement on his website.


Tax Talks


The U.S. and the European Union have vowed to intensify sanctions on Russia’s military, energy and financial industries if it pushes further into Ukraine.


U.S. officials stopped negotiations on agreement for implementation of U.S. Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, Russia’s Vedomosti newspaper reported today, citing an unidentified federal official and a person close to the Kremlin. Talks with the U.S. on FATCA have been scaled back, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov told reporters in Moscow.


To contact the reporters on this story: Ilya Arkhipov in Simferopol, Crimea, at iarkhipov@bloomberg.net; Henry Meyer in Moscow at hmeyer4@bloomberg.net; Kateryna Choursina in Kiev at kchoursina@bloomberg.net


To contact the editors responsible for this story: Balazs Penz at bpenz@bloomberg.net Andrew Langley, Paul Abelsky









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