Conspiracy theories spread in the wake of Malaysia Airlines flight disappearance
Flickr CC by: Aereo Icarus

Was it sucked into the ocean depths by the Cthulhu? Or pulled out of the air by Godzilla? Or downed by terrorists supported by a mysterious Iranian businessman?
In the wake of the total disappearance of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH370 bound for Beijing, China — and the emergence of the fact that some passengers on board were using stolen passports — enquiring minds are looking for answers.
Fast Company's Chris Gayomali reports:
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Naturally, conspiracy theories are already flying left and right on social media. One theory suggests the plane's sudden disappearance is a "false flag" operation intentionally planted by CNN. Another claims that some relatives of the passengers onboard have even reported hearing their phones ring — but no one is answering.
Other tin foilers have gone so far as to suggest that the plane simply vanished. "If we never find the debris," writes one skeptic, "it means some entirely new, mysterious and powerful force is at work on our planet which can pluck airplanes out of the sky without leaving behind even a shred of evidence." [Fast Company]
James Rush of the Daily Mail draws attention to a mysterious Iranian businessman:
An Iranian businessman known only as Mr. Ali is understood to have booked the tickets for the two passengers using the stolen passports of the missing Malaysian Airlines plane, it has emerged.
Authorities had today still found no trace of the missing plane despite searches by ships from six navies and dozens of military aircraft.
A Thai travel agent who arranged the tickets for the two passengers has now said she had booked them on the flight via Beijing because they were the cheapest tickets, it has been reported. [Mail Online]
Meanwhile, the hunt for the disappeared flight continues. Currently, at least 45 ships and 22 aircraft from nine countries, including the U.S., China, and more, are participating in a large-scale multi-national rescue effort.
But Azharuddin Abdul Rahman, head of Malaysia's Department of Civil Aviation, said on Monday: "Unfortunately, ladies and gentleman, we have not found anything that appears to be objects from the aircraft, let alone the aircraft itself."
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John Aziz is the economics and business correspondent at TheWeek.com. He is also an associate editor at Pieria.co.uk. Previously his work has appeared on Business Insider, Zero Hedge, and Noahpinion.
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