on al jazeera america >> >> the search for a missing malaysia airlines plane widens. officials say the aircraft may have deviated from its flight path. >> hello, this is al jazeera live from doha. also ahead - libya threatens to bomb on oil tanker for doing business with separatists in the east. celebrations as people in north korea head to the polls. there's only one candidate on the ballot paper. the actors determined to prove that a wheelchair shouldn't be a barrier to getting that starring role.

>> relatives of the passengers aboard the missing malaysian airline's flight have been told to prepare for the worst. the boeing 777 flight disappeared 30 hours ago now. 40 ships and 22 aircrafts are searching the sea for signs of plane. >> still no answers about where and how the boeing 777 went down. the malaysian government is investigating two passengers travelling with stolen passports. >> we have to not jump the gun. we will get - it is not a security risk. we have to establish that first. if it is a security rick, let's see where the lapse is. the main thing here, guys, for me and the families concerned is to find the aircraft.

we will find out on lapses and shortages and who is - who brought this to the issue. >> when asked if they were treating it as a terror investigation, the minister said they are not ruling anything out. several countries are taking part in the search. vietnamese aircraft found two large oil slicks, but no debris has been found here. the flight left kuala lumpur with 239 people on board, to beijing. there's no details about what went wrong. the fact that a discretion siing gnat was not sent means whatever happened happened quickly. >> turn back, that means - it can happen fast, but that's a possibility. at this stage and juncture, ladies and gentlemen, we are trying to cooperate with the

other international authorities, and we'll get a better picture. the search area has been widened as we speak. >> the boeing 777 has a great safety record with one fatal crash. it's been flying for 19 years, and ex-parties praised its -- experts praised its safety features. the manufacturer is monitoring the situation. with little information, no one is willing to guess why flight 370 disappeared. >> most of the passengerers on board flight mh370 were chinese. relatives are awaiting news. >> the ongoing wait for news. some of the relatives gathered at hotels. a special team has been flown in offering care and support, made up of staff and volunteers.

>> translation: we are malaysian chinese and can help communicate with the families. >> malaysia airlines has been cite sized for a slow response as the emergency unfolded. >> we immediately contacted all the aircraft flying in that aircraft for them to take a look out. it was done within minutes. at the same time when something like this happens you don't immediately jump to the conclusion that something bad happiness, you investigate all issues, and contact air traffic control - malaysia, vietnam, china, et cetera, hong kong - looking for any tonny to find the air -- opportunity to find the aircraft. >> until confirmed otherwise, the aircraft is listed as missing. relatives are being prepared for the worse. >> in woman travelled here trying to find news of her

brother-in-law. >> translation: we still don't know what happened. we have had no final confirmation. relatives have been turning up for briefing sessions with staff at the hotel. the whereabouts is unknown, let alone the loss, authorities are taking no chances. the president ping stepped up all security. >> a suicide bomb attack in iraq killed 35, injuring more than 100, happening in hila, 95km south of baghdad. iraq has seen a spike in violence since april. the u.n. says more than 14-00 have been killed in joint enterprise and february of this year alone. >> the libyan government threatened to bomb a north korea korea

korean-flagged tanker. militias are loading it with petrol. an act which is criminal. >> leading oil on to a tanker in one of libya's biggest ports. it should be a sign that the economy is back on track, but the government in tripoli threatened to bomb the ship in if leaves port. >> translation: last night a ship called "morning glory" entered libyan waters and docked at the port. this is a violation. the state of libya sent a warning to the ship and embassy of north korea as the ship is flying their flag and contacted the captain. he said an armed group jumped on the ship. he called them militia. the tanker will be bombed if it doesn't follow orders when leaving the port. this will be an environmental disaster. >> the prime minister of the eastern region dismissed the threat. >> translation: we reaffirm that we do not accept threats to a tanker or ship that we are

dealing with or are contracted with. we are not making threats and do not want to use force. if anyone attacks us we'll be prepared to defend ourselves. >> he says the government has not met demands to share oil wealth, investigate corruption in the oil industry and grant the region autonomy. >> translation: there are current communications with our people and tripoli. we are awaiting responses. we are waiting information overseeing export of sales. in response to a law giving us 50% of revenues and 50% to the unity government and 70% to the betterment of libyans. >> rebels seized three ports since august, causing oil exports to drop to a low, costing billions in losses. if successful this would be the first sale of oil bypassing the central government. the prime minister was unsure

why government orders to stop the ship docking were not carried outside by the military. the government has been locked in power struggles by militia, but kept their weapons and challenged state authority. western nations worried the nation will break apart urged the government and rival factions to hold talks. threats like this from the government will not help. >> armed groups in libya seized control of three major ports, including sid ra. they want awedon me for barka. it will cover half of libya. they ca created their own oil company. the author of "libya - from col ni to independence", says it's likely libya about respond with

force. >> they have the navy, and the separatists do not. they, the separate government, has an air force. they are in a position, if they have to, to use military force, which they did do once this year when a maltese flagged vessel attempted to approach benghazi. warning shots were fired. warning shots were fired. i suspect that the central government will apply the same forest in this significant. if that doesn't work, i would not be surprised if theyees the ship or bomb it. >> the e.u.'s foreign policy chief is in tehran. the first visit by katherine ashton in six years. let's go live to tehran. what have we learnt from this

press conference? >> well, we have learnt that going into the next round of talks in vienna on march 17th, things seem to be a bit more positive, a bit more relaxed between baroness ashton and the iranians. on the iranian side the foreign minister spoke briefly at the press commence. he basically said that there is a short time for success, to come up with a nuclear agreement, a lasting one. iran has shown good faith. he asks for the p5+1, the permanent members and germany, is that they show good faith and stick to their commitments, the ones they agreed to in an interim agreement. there's no permanent agreement yet. they are hopeful that they can come up with something in the next four to five months before the july deadline. but iran will only accept an disagreement which respects its

people, its interests and with no ambiguity where people can read between the lines and interpret any kind of agreement in any way they want. they want something that is basically black and white that will last. also, baroness ashton spoke as well. she was very relaxed, saying she met with the iranians on many occasions. this is a bilateral meeting. she is going to visit the city as well. it gives you an indication of what she's doing here. sightseeing and a friendly trip before talks resume on march 17th. it seems quite positive going into the next round where they are going to try to knock out the permanent nuclear agreement, a black and white one according to the iranians. >> thank you. people in north korea are heading to the polls to vote for

a parliament. elections are held every five years, as stefanie dekker reports, the vote is little more than a rubber-stamp. >> it's quite the production outside a polling station. there's a mysterious message - you need to vote. >> translation: i cast a vote of approval for our candidate. i will devote my intelligence and strength to strengthen our socialist system >> these are parliamentary elections, but there is little joys. there's one candidate. you can say yes or no. if you vote no you need to publicly enter a separate booth, and that is something few are willing to risk. the last elections were held in 2009 under kim jong-il. he received 100% of the vote and turn out was 99.98%. these are the first elections since kim jong un took over.

the results are likely to reflect similar month. >> for this election we show the might of our army and people who are firmly united behind our respected marshal. >> elections are interesting for two reasons. for the regime it uses a sensis and a check to see who might have made it across the border. if you don't vote, you'll be investigated. it gives the outside world a peak into who is in favour. the candidates are relieved to be handpick the by the party and approved by the dear leader. >> more news still to come. tempers flare in crimea ahead of a vote in russia, and food prices in south sudan soaring. half the population is struggling to feed itself.

>> hello again. the top stories on al jazeera. investigators searching for a malaysian airline plane say it may have diverted from its flight path. >> katherine ashton is in iran, the first e.u. visit in six years. anelection is under way in north korea. the outcome predetermined - just one candidate in each district, meaning the voters don't get a

choice about who represents them. afghanistan's vice president has died. he'd been suffering from diabetes and was in poor health. he led the northern alliance in their fight against the taliban. now to kabul. a former warlord and fought against the soviet. how will his death affect afghanistan? >> he did have a lengthy career as a fighter, as a politician, and was a giant of his afghanistan's history, spanning almost four decade. he was a senior moouj had een figure, and was a senior figure in the northern alliance, underneath. after 9/11, whenever the americans entered afghanistan, he was the country's first

defence minister and vice president. for some time he has held senior positions in the government. he was, of course, close to president hamid karzai, but was, himself, popular and powerful enough, having been a warlord, to have his own support, with or without the president. now, in terms of the elections that are coming up in less than a month here, he was someone who leading contenders would have liked to have got n on board. he hadn't publicly spoken about who he would support, but was the kind of person in tribal politics who was so ininfluential that anyone would have wanted to have him on board if they were running for president. president hamid karzai declared three days of national mourning. he, himself released a statement

cooling him a great moouja hib. referring to his days fighting the taliban. he is seen as a loss for the country. he was a nationalist. >> jane ferguson live in kabul. >> a week from today people in crimea will vote to decide whether the region will leave ukraine and become part of russia. it's been announced as illegitimate by some observers and treason by either. the crimean parliament is in no hurry to compromise >> crimea is hurtling towards confrontation. claims and counterclaims of assaults and intimidation. "show me one person who has been beaten up", says a pro-russian man. the people are brimming with confidence, convinced that a

week from now they'll sweep the ballot. >> i know many people want normal economic stability which the russian separation can provide. >> this is a referendum declared null and void before a vote has been cast. >> there's no doubt a vote will take place, regardless of the view in brussels or washington d.c. the chairman of the organising committee says is.5 million ballots will be printed in 12 das. the question of who will pay for this is unanswered. >> translation: all i can say is material provision for the referendum will be made in full. democracy is not cheap. we have a guarantee that everything will be financed in full. >> all of which leaves crimea's ukrainian loyalist with a

problem. despite believing the referendum is illegitimate or do they abstain and hand a victory to their opponents. >> i'm not going to vote. i don't want my vote used against my intentions. >> no one book my ukrainian passport away from me. >> do we have to vote or ignore it? i don't know, and i haven't made the decision. >> the referendum will carry two questions. the way it operates raises more questions than that. people here, pro-kiev are aption, worried and increasingly defiant. >> foreign diplomats and world leaders urge a deescalation in crimea. instead, the controversial vote is bringing matters to a head. >> protesters in venezuela are calling for the gast to make

food and other items cheeper. inflation has shot up by 57%. some protesters were involved in scuffles with the police op saturday. nearly 5 million voters in el salvador will cast their ballots in a run off. a february vote failed to produce a clear winner. most polls show a former rebel fighter is likely to win the majority. david mercer looks at what is at stake. >> el salvador chooses a man to run the country. two key issues are on their mind - how to revive a flailing economy and what to do about crime and gang violence. former gurr ill acommander sanchez ceren nearly won. he failed to get a majority of votes. he hopes to win on the back of his party sids leftist policies,

he wants to use the socialist agenda owe to revive the party. his rival is norman quijano, and proposes using the military to get gangs off the street. foreign enterprise and private enterprise are needed. it will be give tore either candidate to push through changes, once in office. >> whoever wins will face a lot of antagonism. that will put the nation under political tension. >> after the election to over, people on the streets will face the two main issues. the threat of violence and how to make a living. >> from the university of california, rahul, is heading to

observe the elections. >> the left wing party will win by a large margin. it's the first time late rally in 500 years where a progressive course is taking power away from the elite that controlled the country. they have done it in an electoral way. second, historic aspect is the party that will win used to be a guerilla organization, which fought a civil war, signed a peace treaty, joined the political process and is winning comfortably and popular mandate and has not created a mixed economy was a social democratic force. and the third important spoect is this is a major challenge for the united states. this is a country where the united states spend $10 billion supporting the elites in a civil

war against these guerillas, and created a situation where a third of the population left and went to the united states. >> authorities in egypt helped three al jazeera journalist in prison for 71 days. mohamed fadel fahmy, mohammed badr, and peter greste are accused of having links with a terrorist organization and spreading false news. al jazeera rejects all charges against its staff. the trial is to resume on march 24th. there's a major food crisis in south sudan. prices of food have been pushed up. we are in the capital juba. >> since her husband died feeding her family has always been hard. but since the fighting the price of food was pushed behind her reach. >> since the problem started

food has become expensive. sometimes the shops are not open. life has become hard. we have to eat less >> south sudan produces little food, so relies on imports. they were drawn to juba by the promise of a large profit. sips december many of the residents fled and fewer customers and higher prices are making life hard. >> translation: before christmas things were moving well. i was making good money, enough to support me and my family. since the conflict started things are bad. goods are expensive. life is becoming hard. >> this used to be a thriving marketplace. so much so traders came from all over the regions. since the crisis began many closed up their shops and have gone home. right now the government is

receiving enough oil revenue to function and pay salaries. the rebel forces made it clear that their goal disrupts oil production and it will leave president with little income and no reserves. >> if the oil is shut down there'll be a serious problem, it will not be like the first shut down. also, it was focussing on one particular challenge. but here you have so many challenges. >> for susan the challenge is finding enough money to feed her family. around the country the story is the same. with half the population studying to get enough to ate. 2014 was a year of growth, but will be a challenge to prevent famon. >> like many minority groups

people with disabilities say they are under-represented in hollywood. you unique film festival taking place in new york aims to change that. >> being an actress in a wheelchair comes with challenges. from physically getting to auditions to getting the right part. >> the part was called screaming running girl. i think they wanted someone that could do the screaming and the running. >> the award winning web serious "my gimpy life" is based on the experiences of its star. >> i didn't feel like people with disabilities was represented enough. instead of complaining about it i thought i'd do something about it. >> she is featured in a documentary called "sina mability" about the history of disabilities. >> it took off quickly.

the first i don't remember we were in 15 locations. >> isaac started "real abilities", to promote awareness of what life with a disability is like. he said the number and quality is soaring. there's a market for these films, and it's easier than six years ago to make films and people are making them as web series. >> i just met you. this is crazy. >> the first season of "my gimpy life was so popular" $60,000 was raised online for a second season. she is not giving up on hollywood roles. >> why can't i be the lawyer, the scientist, the best friend or the mother, why does it have to resolve around disability. in real life it's not always about disability. that's important for audiences to see too. >> that is the goal of the festival, showing audiences that

people with disabilities have a story to tell and a character that can't walk can ride off into the sunset. >> get the latest on all the stories we are coughing, along with video analysis and comment at aljazeera.com. that was alcohol. i spiralled down. >> inspiration for the movie "jerry maguire" talks about his football. >> i called it a ticking time epidemic. sherman. >> he twerked his way into the national consciousness, taking a page out of miley cyrus's book. >> when you started off the term super agent didn't exist. if you think about it player representation didn't exist as