Indian Wells (United States) (AFP) - Rafael Nadal's Indian Wells title defence got off to a rocky start, as the world number one was forced to rally for a three-set victory over Radek Stepanek. Nadal needed nearly two and a half hours on Saturday to get past the talented Czech 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, eight double faults doing little to help his cause in the second-round clash. Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, the fifth seed, fought back from a set down against another Czech, subduing Lukas Rosol 4-6, 6-3, 6-2. The going was easier for four-time champion Roger Federer and fellow Swiss Stanislas Wawrinka, who is playing his first tournament since his Australian Open triumph.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A government spokesman says one of Afghanistan's two vice presidents, former anti-Taliban commander Field Marshal Mohammed Qasim Fahim, has died.

08:26 GMT - "No trace" - Hamid Mohamad Amin, director of operations with the Malaysian maritime enforcement agency, tells my colleague M. Jegathesan: "We have our ships and planes in the South China Sea and Malacca Strait looking for the missing aircraft." Malaysia Airlines has said Zaharie, a Malaysian, joined the carrier in 1981 and had accumulated 18,365 flying hours. His co-pilot, Fariq Abdul Hamid, also from Malaysia and aged 27, joined in 2007 and had 2,763 flying hours. A portion, possibly a metre (1.1 yard) of the wing tip, was torn," Malaysia Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya told reporters.