The pilots of the missing Malaysian jet are at the center of a newly opened criminal investigation
Rahman Rosian / Getty Images
The mystery of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 has moved from being simply a search operation to a criminal investigation, with authorities probing the flight crew's and passengers' backgrounds for a possible motive. The new phase of the investigation began shortly after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said Saturday that authorities determined "deliberate action" diverted the plane.
Malaysian authorities this weekend searched the homes of the plane's pilot, Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and co-pilot, Farq Ab Hamid, removing a flight simulator from Shah's residence for further examination. And a Malaysian official revealed Sunday that a signaling system onboard the plane was already turned off when Shah radioed air traffic controllers and reported that nothing was amiss. Meanwhile, U.S. intelligence officials told CNN they are "leaning toward the theory" that the flight crew was responsible for the plane's disappearance, though they haven't yet ruled out other possible explanations.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jon Terbush is an associate editor at TheWeek.com covering politics, sports, and other things he finds interesting. He has previously written for Talking Points Memo, Raw Story, and Business Insider.
-
'Making a police state out of the liberal university'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Harold Maass, The Week US Published
-
8 looming climate tipping points that imperil our planet
The Explainer New reports detail the thresholds we may be close to crossing
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Try 6 free issues of The Week Junior
Spark your child's curiosity with The Week Junior - the award-winning current affairs magazine for 8-14s.
By The Week Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
More than 2,000 dead following massive earthquake in Morocco
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Mexico's next president will almost certainly be its 1st female president
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
North Korea's Kim to visit Putin in eastern Russia to discuss arms sales for Ukraine war, U.S. says
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Gabon's military leader sworn in following coup in latest African uprising
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published