Two weeks after a Malaysia Airlines airliner went missing with 239 people on board, officials are bracing for the "long haul" as searches by more than two dozen countries turn up little but frustration and fresh questions, according to Reuters. The international team hunting Flight MH370 in the remote southern Indian Ocean yielded no results on Friday, and Australia's deputy prime minister said suspected debris there may have sunk. Aircraft and ships have renewed the search in the Andaman Sea between India and Thailand, going over areas that have already been exhaustively swept to find some clue to unlock one of the biggest mysteries in modern aviation. Malaysian officials have been realistic about their ability to lead the operation with a global dynamic that some have said is beyond the country's technical capabilities and expertise. "This continues to be a multinational effort coordinated by Malaysia, involving dozens of countries from around the world," Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said at a briefing on Friday. Malaysia welcomed "all assistance to continue to follow all credible leads", said Hishammuddin, who is also acting transport minister. He said searchers were facing the "long haul" but were conscious that the clock was ticking. The plane's "black box" voice and data recorder only transmits an electronic signal for about 30 days before its battery dies, after which it will be far more difficult to locate. -- SPA 22:28 LOCAL TIME 19:28 GMT تغريد
