dive deep behind these stories and go behind the scenes at aljazeera.com there are >> good afternoon an welcome to al jazeera america i'm morgan radford live in new york city. here are the stories we're covering for you today. the search for a plane that vanished in the middle of the night carrying 239 people. plus warning shots in ukraine talk of diplomatic solutions and economic sanctions. wrapping up the c pac convention conservative leaders give their final remarks.

>> an u.s. navy destroyer is on its way to the south china sea to search for a missing malaysia airline jet. today, two large oil slick were spotted off the coast of vietnam. al jazeera has more. >> reporter: anxious families wait for news for malaysia airline flight 370 which disappeared off the radar early saturday morning. it left kuala lumpur on its way to beijing. in beijing, similar scenes. there are few details, but the fact that the crow did not send a distress signal means whatever happened happened quickly. >> we will work and mobile full

suppormobilizefull support. our thoughts and prayers are with the. passengers, crew and their family members. >> reporter: here's what we know about the flight path. the triple 777 was expected to arrive in beijing, but disappeared. the boeing 777 has a great safety record with only one fatal crash in its history. it's been flying for 20 years. >> the aircraft is 12 years old, and if it was going to be a

structural break up we would have expected to see problems with the older fleet than we already have done. >> reporter: boeing is monitoring the situation but with little information on what happened, no one is willing to guess what went wrong. >> in malaysia hopes are dwindling as the search for the plane goes on. we have more on the investigation. >> reporter: malaysian authorities say they have enlarged the search area but they're focusing on an area where they last had contact with the missing aircraft. it is an international effort. vietnam, singapore china is involved. u.s. has offered to september sd aircraft to assist in the search. now the prime minister spoke to the chinese prime minister earlier on saturday to express his condolences. more than two-thirds of the passengers are chinese nationals.

the airports are a hive of activity with distraught relatives, some in tears seen being ex-supremsupreme escortedg area. they will be moved to the hotel where they'll stay overnight. they will keep the public informed, and they will be issuing statements as soon as they have any more information. >> the crisis in ukraine is in many ways becoming an international stand off. european military observers were shot at when they tried to enter crimea unsuccessfully for a third day in a row. the polish government is now closing its consulate in crimea. phil ittner is now in crimea. russia is ramping up the military presence and the gas company is threatening to cut ukraine off. how nervous is the ukrainian

government just about now? >> morgan, very nervous. nervous because of that possible shut off of natural gas coming off of russia's gas company. ukrainians say they can't pay their bills, that's what prompted that. it has not happened yet but they're very nervous about it. of course, they're very nervous about russia's presence along crimea peninsula. there is nothing they can do about that. russia seems to be digging in for the long haul. europeans are debating of how to react to russia's actions in ukraine. and here it is a version of valentine's day, so there is a little bit of softness to the hard edge of this crisis.

but nevertheless very much on the mind what is going on in what is now, as you say, turning into a geopolitical situation. >> phil, there wasn't any softness shown to the international observers in crimea who were shot at. what does that mean for cooperation in the days to come? >> well, that delegation that tried to get into crimea, the delegation for security cooperation in europe. interestingly enough, russia is part of that organization. they were trying to get in for a third day in a row to check on a number of things, not least of things those men with guns walking around in uniform but without identifying patches or insignias. they were turned away, and it does look like this is an intractable situation where they are right now.

both sides seem to not want to give an inch. moscow saying they won't recognize kiev. they won't allow representative of the acting government to sit in in any negotiations between the west and russia. right now it seems as though we're in a holding pattern. as i say, morgan, while this holding pattern exists those troops on the ground. those russian soldiers, they seem to be digging in. >> phil ittner keeping us up in kiev. thank you. russia is warning of a backlash if obama follows through with sanctions. randall pinkston, what kind of an affect would it have on a global scale. >> reporter: with respect to europe the first impact would be the cut off of gas supplies. much of western europe receives its natural gas supplies from russia, and they would definitely be in a very

difficult situation. the u.s. is not in a position yet to replace whatever russia might cut off. but that's getting ahead of things because that has not happened yet. however, the u.s. is putting in place the mechanism to begin sanctions on russia already making sure that certain russian officials who are part of the invasion of crimea cannot get visas into the u.s. along with putting freezes on their financial assets. president obama is in florida, where he is taking a very brief break from the work and rigors in washington, but of course keeping a very close watch on that crisis. did he speak before leaving washington to germany chancellor angela merkel and both agreed russia needs to pull back on its forces. and confirmation that thousands of russian troops have moved into crimea in the past creek.

week. the number, they're not sure because they don't have perfect visibility, but it's a great concern. >> it's a clear violation of lots of international obligations not to mention the 1997 agreement with ukraine. which prevents them from the type of activities they are doing. we're much more concerned about the activities, blocking off ukrainian naval bases, seeking patrol boats into the waterways. and essentially establishing operational control of the crimea. >> the boat that the spokesperson referred to is a patrol boat that they pulled over to prevent ukrainian vessels from having access to the black sea. there is confirmation of one u.s. warship in the black sea, a

guided missiles destroyer the pentagon insists it is part of a planned deployment and not in response to the crisis. >> thank you for being with us this afternoon. the stand off over crimea is not stopping france from selling two warships to russia. french president françois hollande said that the deal will go through because his country does respect contracts. the vessels are capable of carrying 16 helicopters, 13 tanks, four amphibious vehicles and hundreds of soldiers. the ships are part of an investment by moscow, that has been building up its military since georgia six years ago. russian defense spending has risen 31% between 2008 and 2013.

that makes russia now the world's largest spender just behind china and the u.s. the size of the russian military isn't so clear, but institute says russia has 845,000 troops with a reserve force of 2 million people who have had recent military training. the ukraine is estimated to have 130,000 troops but those forces are underfunded and i will equipped. japan's prime minister visits fukushima nuclear power plant. it comes days after marking the third anniversary of the earthquake and tsunami that triggered multiple meltdowns and widespread contaminations. japan's leader said he'll begin making steps to revive an area still devastated by disaster. >> a journey into the heart of japan's nuclear disaster has become almost a daily routine. the once thriving town thatted a

joins the fukushima nuclear plant. >> just because we're retired does not mean it's not our business any more. we need to do all we can to keep this place alive. >> so these men monitor the radiation level, clear the waterways, maintain a stake in their town. the personal radiation exposure isn't a problem until they admit it's twice the legal limit. they are goal is to get people living in the outlying neighborhood in the next three years. people prepare to live in the area with its three crippled reactors and regular water leaks. >> reporter: there is a sense of realism as well, and acceptance of bringing anyone to live here at a time when nuclear disaster continues to unfold just over there is going to be very, very difficult. reviving the area will be a goal they'll pass onto the next

generation. >> reporter: we come across a different group, no masks or hazard chutes here. suits here. it is all about confidence. here tight security prevented us from hearing from him. earlier he visited nearby new housing for evacuees. thhere where they feed migratory swans there are plans for storage sites for around the region. >> it's not the first time our town has suffered hardship. think of what our ancestors did building the paddies, now we work for future generation. >> reporter: al jazeera, japan. >> when we return on al jazeera

america. [♪ singing ] >> the gathering of political conservatives near washington, d.c. wraps up its conservative weigh in on who they want in the white house. stay with us. al megrahi's guilt. lockerbie: what really happened? on al jazeera america

>> these protestors have decided that today they will be arrested >> these people have chased a president from power, they've

torn down a state... >> what's clear is that people don't just need protection, they need assistance. >> it's the third and final day of the political action conference peter known as c pac. some of the party's most loyal leaders are expected to take center stage later today. libby casey south of the nation's capitol. libby, who is on today's lineup to rally the g.o.p.? >> reporter: the big speaker is sarah palin, the former governor out of alaska. she'll wrap up things, and we'll hear from the likes of newt gingrich.

we'll hear from people who made a splash in past elections. they're not expected to be white house contenders but to drive home the debates. including a doctor who has made controversial remarks comparing homosexuality to bestiality and said that obamacare is the worst thing to happen to america since slavery. controversial remarks but with one step the conservatives gathered here today really like. otherwise a lot of big stars and names we've heard from in the last couple of days. >> speaking of these stars, libby, party leaders are expected to reveal a supersized list of presidential hopefuls later today. who is on that list?

>> reporter: it's called a straw poll looking at the 2016 presidential candidate. there is a large number and it's a wide open field. you really see a lot of different parts of the republican party pushing to get recognition, pushing to figure out what their new identify is going to be. they're talking about getting more women involved. there is a handful of women on that list but by and large it's a mix of senators and governors. rand paul, it will be a long shot for someone to come in and overcome rand paul's lead. but we've seen governors on the list, people from around the country making splashes in republican circles. then there are outsiders like dr. ben carson. expect to have the winner announced. it's not a predictor of who will be in the white house in 2016,

but it does show who the conservatives like the most. >> from rand paul to ben carson. thank you so much, libby. events are being held all around the world in honor of international women's day. many are highlighting the need for equal rights, reducing poverty, and for increasing health in all communities. caroline malone tells us how these issues come together. >> reporter: going for a record in the philippines. more than 10,000 people turned out to support equality for women. they hope to make it in th in te guinness world record book. philippines was ranked the fifth more gender-equal country last year according to a world report. men's help is important in changing global attitudes. >> one of the things that we're doing is a campaign that we call he for she.

where we're going out to recruit men, participate actively in promoting the emancipation of women, women's rights as well as women's empowerment. >> reporter: afghanistan is one place where women's rights have improved over the past 12 years. >> after all that happened to the woman during taliban, they were deprived of many basic rights. i think women issue is a national agenda. we need to look at it as a national need. >> reporter: giving rights and education is a right in and of itself, but it could change every'every one's lives. one in ten children die before reaching five and education reduces infant mortality. at the gaza strip hundreds took part in the march. people there know all too well

how women suffer disproportionately. >> when women and girls thrive entire societies thrive. just as women's rights are human rights, women's progress is human progress. >> reporter: earlier in new york a group of high profile women walked down the streets of the city. even in the world's most developed nations more can be done to encourage gender equality, and men whether they're fathers, sons, husbands, or friends of women, they are needed to make a real impact. caroline malone, al jazeera. >> vital voices, an international non-profit focused on empowering women is sponso sponsoring a walk in honor of women's day. oscar winning actress sally field joining us. >> women are the untapped resource of this planet. the group that i work to provide

voices is the preeminent group in what it does, it identifies and invests on emerging women leaders on every level. from a business level, entrepreneurial level and political and human rights level. they go back in the community and do the changes and work that they envision to do, and in some cases to grow that vision. nothing will change until we find a way to bring half the population to the table in an equal participating way. we won't heal. we'll continue in turmoil. if we see it happening every moment, every moment of every day. and it's not getting better. >> the walk is taking place in 40 cities all across the world. art imitating life. coming up, two performance artists live on a life-sized hamster wheel.

>> good afternoon, welcome back to al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. and here are today's top stories. the search goes on for a missing malaysian jet that disappeared overnight with 239 people on board. this morning searchers spotted a large oil slick in the water off vietnam. european military observers were shot at when they tried unsuccessfully to enter vie mia. mia--crimea. polispoland will close its conse and russia warns against the west if they follow through on sanctions. and the final day of c pac. on the agenda presidential hopefuls and closing remarks by former alaskan governor sarah palin. well good afternoon to all you east coasters. it's shaping up to be a beautiful day. check out these temperatures behind me. we're talking about the 30s

across portions of upper new england. once you make your way down to the mid atlanta we are in the 50s. new york city climbing to a whopping high of 51. believe it or not that's closer to where we should be this time of year. but given the fact that it's been so cold for so long, they'll build to a high of 60 degrees. we'll see plenty of sunshine out there. can't say the same for those on the west coast. we have massive storms pushing off the pacific. it will bring in a stream of moisture to portions of washington into oregon. i think northern portions of california may get a little bit of rain, but not enough to really help aid in that drought out there. as we take a look towards the northwest the rain is starting to fall right now. it will become heavier this afternoon into this evening along i-5 all the way down through eastern portions of oregon. be careful if you're traveling

on the road. look how comfortable it is. the temperatures are well above what they should be for this time of year. 64 in billings. and so if all that warmth you better believe we're going to see some of that snow melt, we want to use cautions on the roadway on i-15 around the hel helena area. in minneapolis today only reaching a high of 25 degrees. they should be around 40, but that milder air pushing in out of the west will make a run for the north central plains as we head into tomorrow. it will be a lot more comfortable. by sunday, we're up to 41. >> thank you so much. they say what goes around comes around. two new york artists have taken that to an extreme and are spending ten days living on a giant hamster wheel. so naturally we asked them why.

>> hi, my name is alex, and i'm an artist and architect from new york at this. >> i'm wards will from brooklyn. together with my partner we're living on this piece called "in orbit." >> ward and i got this idea of "in orbit" based on other pieces we've done in the past. we wanted to explore two people having to synchronize their entire day. all the normal activities of the day we spin around and synchronize. 180 degrees from me is ward's bed. >> i'm on top of the wheel, and the situation up here is different than in the bottom because i have actually a very small area that i can safely stand in. he's got to be thoughtful about me at every moment. he can't move suddenly. he's got to keep his mind on me. >> so the script for all of the performance buildings that we

do, that we endeavor is that to just live your life as normally as possible. >> oh my gosh, thank you so much. thank you so much. that's great. that's great. terrific. thank you. >> my pleasure, you have to share. >> absolutely. absolutely. >> so one of the biggest difficulties. one of the things that i found a little bit unusual is to have to keep every surface free of clutter. if i put a coffee cup down, i forget to take it away, that coffee cup will weaned up on my head. >> there have been a few surprises. we decided it would be smart for me to wear a harness, and a strap. that's what the piece is about, it's about balance. over this ten days we have been able to maintain the balance, and that's one of the ambitions of the work. >> well, probably the first thing i'll do when i leave in orbit is to take a nice warm

shower. >> thanks so much for watching al jazeera america. i'm morgan radford. "the stream" is coming up next. remember for news updates all throughout the day you can always head over to www.aljazeera.com. stay tune. >> hi, i'm lisa fletcher, and >> hi i'm lisa fletcher and you're in "the stream." buckle up. we're going to walk the streets of baghdad with ordinary iraqis to get a sense of what or the oy life is in a place of utter. >>