Australia to lead southern search for plane, says Abbott

SYDNEY: Australia will take responsibility for the “southern vector” of the search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, with 25 countries now involved in a huge operation to locate the plane, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said.

Abbott, who earlier yesterday told journalists he had no information that the flight may have come close to Australia, said he was responding to a request from Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.