A crowded passenger plane goes missing over Southeast Asia – Concern over police showing disrespect at the funeral of a fallen officer – Why did one of the world’s most-wanted terrorists turn himself in? – And more in your CareerSpot World News Briefs:

An Airasia flight has lost contact with air traffic controllers.  Flight number QZ8501 was flying from the Indonesian city of Surabaya to Singapore lost contact with the Jakarta air traffic control tower at 6:17 AM local time.  Indonesia transport Ministry official Hadi Mustofa said the plane had asked for an unusual route before it lost contact.  There are reportedly six crewmembers and 155 passenger on board – 149 Indonesians, one British national, one Malaysian and three Koreans.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak has cut short his holiday to tour the eastern areas of his country hit by the worst flooding in ten years.  So far, at least five people are confirmed dead.  Razak is promising around A$150 million in relief funds to the affected areas.  But that may not be enough to quell growing anger over his initial reaction to the disaster, which was to stay in Hawaii and go golfing with US President Barack Obama. 

Thousands of police officers from all over the United States and parts of Canada attended the funeral of Rafael Ramos, one of two cops gunned down in Brooklyn, New York City earlier this month.  The White House dispatched Vice President Joe Biden to represent the administration.  Although most of the ceremony was honorable, large numbers of NYPD officers turned their backs when New York Mayor Bill DiBlasio spoke, signaling their dissatisfaction with the democratically elected leader of America’s largest city.  Those cops were offended when DiBlasio told the story of how he warned his son – half African American – on how to behave around police after a series of episodes of white cops killing black men.

North Korea’s Internet and 3G services mysteriously shut down again.  China’s state-run Xinhua news agency says service was spotty all day on Saturday and eventually blacked out for several hours.  Not long after that, the hermit kingdom blamed the US and said some really stupid racist stuff about US President Barack Obama, which probably means they’re asking for another ass whoopin’. Officially, the US says North Korea’s accusations are not worth a response.

Fire ravaged a timber market in Karachi, Pakistan.  No injuries are reported, but area residents were routed from their homes and flames cut power to the area.

Russian-backed rebels in eastern Ukraine freed more prisoners a day after the rebels and Kiev exchanged hundreds of captives.  The Ukrainian government didn’t release any more prisoners today.  But yesterday, rebels freed 146 prisoners for 222 people held by the government, in the biggest such swap to date.

Meanwhile, in Sevastopol, Russian-occupied Crimea, authorities ordered the demolition of a high-rise building that was constructed without the proper permits.  It didn’t work.

A top al-Shabaab militant turned himself in to Somalian authorities.  The US had put a $3 Million bounty on the head of Zakaria Ismail Ahemed Hersi, suspected of being a leading figure in the terrorist group’s intelligence wing.  It’s believed he had a falling out with other members of the al Shabaab leadership, and reckoned that turning himself in to authorities was his safest move.

Argentine President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner just can’t seem to stay away from hospital.  The 61-year old was ordered to bed rest after fracturing her left ankle.  She sprained the same ankle while visiting the Pope in Rome nine months ago.  In the last couple of years, she’s had surgery for a subdural hematoma, and been hospitalized for various infections including pharyngitis.