Hotels prepare to take MH370 families

Tony Abbott says the families of those on flight MH370 will be welcomed to Australia if they wish to visit.

MAJOR preparations are underway in Perth for the arrival of hundreds of relatives of passengers from Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

Australian Hoteliers Association WA CEO Bradley Woods said the hotel industry was helping state and commonwealth agencies, as well as the commercial agent acting for Malaysia Airlines, to coordinate accommodation in Perth.

He said Malaysia Airlines was expected to make an announcement about the transportation of family members to the city.

"Once there is confirmed information about the debris and there is an indication there is likely to be a reference point in Perth — we don't know that yet — then there will obviously be some action around whether Malaysian Airlines staff and families are brought to Perth," he said.

"All of this is an unknown factor depending upon what happens with the search and recovery operation in the Indian Ocean at the moment. Once it's known, procedures and practices will be ready to go an in place to support the process that's required."

Mr Woods revealed yesterday that the AHAWA had contacted Malaysia Airlines and offered to co-ordinate efforts to house relatives in the city.

Mr Woods said there was "no problem" in terms of accommodating the relatives in Perth, but they would have to stay in multiple hotels in the city.

The AHA has received no information to confirm families had already started to arrive.

The hotel industry is providing authorities with up to date occupancy and room availability data, as well as identifying function spaces for international government agencies.

"We would imagine that people would be here for whatever time is required to support their human and emotion needs, but obviously this is a question of the debris and how it travels to Western Australia, if in fact it does arrive here," Mr Woods said.

"This will be a question of how each family and each circumstance are managed individually, but what we are tracking is the 30-day forward-bookings and 30-day room availability.

"We are assuming that over the next month, if Perth does become a point of reference, then it would probably be up to a month or possibly beyond in terms of demand for additional accommodation specifically for this purpose."

He said the influx of family members would not impact tourism or conferences in Perth and the industry would seek to ensure room prices don't spike.

"We are very mindful that this doesn't become an issue of demand driving up price unfairly, particularly for tourists and others who might be affected here," Mr Woods said.

WA Premier Colin Barnett today said he expected the number of Chinese relatives preparing to come to Perth to be in the hundreds.

"The Commonwealth is coordinating the efforts surrounding the recovery of MH370 and we are in discussions with them," he said.

"Whatever assistance they require, we will provide through the Department of Premier and Cabinet.

"We will do whatever we can to welcome these families to Western Australia at this very sad time and assist with their stay here."

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Woman fined $11k for starving horses

A woman has been fined $11,000 and banned from owning horses for three years for neglecting her animals. Source: RSPCA

One of the emaciated horses that saw Gosnells woman Sharon Richardson fined $11,000 and banned from being in charge of horses for three years. Picture: RSPCA Source: Supplied

One of the emaciated horses that saw Gosnells woman Sharon Richardson fined $11,000 and banned from being in charge of horses for three years. Picture: RSPCA Source: Supplied

A GOSNELLS woman was today fined $11,000 for starving three of her horses and banned from owning the animals for three years.

Sharon Richardson was visited three times by RSCPA officers and ordered to take proper care of her horses.

A RSPCA spokesman said in September 2012, Richardson was directed to provide proper and sufficient food for the horses after inspectors visited the property following a complaint. At the stage, three horses — mares named "Mia" and "Sadie" and another horse "Catch a Dream"— were found to be very skinny and in poor condition.

The next month inspectors and a vet conducted a follow-up visit and were told by Richardson the horses were getting chaff and hay twice daily. One horse was emaciated and was seized, with Richardson issued with two further direction notices.

In December, inspectors and a vet checked on the two remaining horses and noticed their condition had deteriorated even further and that there was no hay or feed anywhere in the paddock. The two remaining horses were seized under the Animal Welfare Act.

RSPCA chief inspector Amanda Swift said they were "very happy with today's result."

"If an RSPCA inspector issues a direction notice to take care of an animal, that must be adhered to and failure to comply can end up in prosecution as happened today," she said.

Richardson was also ordered by the courts to pay more than $4300 in costs to the RSPCA, including veterinary treatment costs.

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DPP won’t pursue TJD after breach

The man described as one of Perth's worst sex offenders has been fined.

Serial sex offender known as TJD walks out of Perth Magistrates Court today after pleading guilty to breaching a release condition. He was fined $300. Picture: Kaitlyn Offer Source: Supplied

WA'S top prosecutor has refused to haul a sexual sadist back before the Supreme Court, despite a conviction for breaching his release order just eight days after being freed from prison.

There was public uproar after a man known only as TJD was freed from prison by a Supreme Court judge under a strict 10-year supervision order.

Commissioner Kevin Sleight's decision ended an indefinite detention order handed to TJD in 2011 following vicious assaults on more than a dozen women over 23 years and his psychological assessment as a sexual sadist with psychopathic tendencies.

TJD was arrested last week for breaching one of the 44 reporting conditions imposed on him as part of his release

He admitted the breach in Perth Magistrates Court today and was fined $300.

Joe McGrath, WA's Director of Public Prosecutions, later said he would not be pursuing the breach further because there was no possibility TJD would be ordered back into prison.

``I cannot as a DPP bring proceedings which have no possibility of success,'' he said.

In court on Wednesday, it was revealed that TJD's breach – failing to bring a diary to be inspected by custodial officers – occurred at his very first meeting with authorities after being freed.

Magistrate Elizabeth Woods heard that TJD's explanation was that he had forgotten the diary, even though it was clearly stated in his release order that he needed to bring it to every meeting.

Defence lawyer David McKenzie said it was as ``minor breach as there could be possibly be'', and that custodial officers should have given TJD the chance to collect the diary at the time.

On a previous supervision order while freed from prison, TJD committed similar breaches – including failing to take his diary to meetings six times.

As well as fining TJD, Ms Woods renewed a suppression order on his name and address.

TJD told the magistrate: ``I take my diary everywhere now, I don't leave home without it''.

As part of the supervision order, TJD has to wear a GPS tracking device, abide by a night-time curfew and is banned from unsupervised access to children.

Outside court, Mr McKenzie slammed authorities for arresting TJD, saying he deserved more support and was actually the safest person in WA.

``He is probably the most scrutinised person in Western Australia,'' Mr McKenzie said.

``He can't move without being tracked, 24 hours a day there's people in front of screens who can see exactly where he is. It would be impossible under these orders to reoffend.''

Mr McKenzie believed Community Corrections had failed his client.

"It should have never come to court, it's a waste of taxpayers money, the community should be upset about this," he said.

"Community Corrections has a role to play, they're meant to help these people in the community, they've failed to do it in this case, because instead of having that supportive management role, they're seeing themselves as enforcers.

"I think there's a policy not to help these people in the community, they've got to be helped because the community needs it."

Mr McKenzie said it was in the community's interests for rapists to be supported.

Last week Attorney-General Michael Mischin announced there will be a complete review of the Dangerous Sexual Offenders Act following public backlash over the release of a violent predator last week.

WA Supreme Court Commissioner Kevin Sleight released the serial offender, whose was described in psychological assessments as a sexual sadist with psychopathic tendencies, saying the conditions on the order were sufficient to protect the community despite having a "high risk of reoffending".

TJD's history includes one offence in which he forced a 17-year-old girl into a toilet block by threatening her with a replica handgun. He then raped her and then stood guard outside while his friend raped her as well.

Mr Mischin said he was concerned by the recent WA Supreme Court decision and had ordered a review into all aspects of the Act to "ensure it meets the community's expectations of the handling of dangerous sex offenders".

"The Government's principal concern is to ensure the community is protected," he said.

"I have asked my department to conduct the review in close consultation with the Director of Public Prosecutions, WA Police, the Department of Corrective Services and the Commissioner for Victims of Crime and to report back to me within three months.

"If any reforms are required, I will introduce legislation for those reforms in the spring session of Parliament and I would expect the full support of the Opposition in passing this legislation."

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France spots 122 objects in ocean

The search area for missing flight MH370 has been narrowed by officials.

'We need to find the haystack' ... Sgt. Matthew Falanga on board a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion. Source: AP

NEW satellite images have found about 122 objects floating in the southern Indian Ocean, raising hopes that the search for MH370 may be narrowing in on the plane's resting place.

The objects, measuring from one metre to 23 metres long, were picked up on a French satellite four days ago and sent to the Australian search co-ordinators today.

Some of the objects appeared to be bright in colour and possibly of solid material.

It is the biggest field of possible debris spotted so far in the multinational search for the Boeing 777-200 and is the "most credible lead" so far.

And late in the day the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said three objects had been sighted — two of them were spotted from a civilian aircraft in the search and were likely to be rope and the third, seen from a NZ P3 Orion, was a blue object.

Further passes over the area could not locate them, AMSA said.

Details of the French satellite images were revealed last night by Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein.

He said the images were taken by Airbus Defence and Space, in France, on March 23.

Mr Hussein said the images were analysed by the Malaysian Remote Sensing Agency on Tuesday. They found that in an area of ocean about 400 square kilometres there were 122 potential objects, about 2557km from Perth.

Could they be a part of MH370? the area where the 122 debris have been spotted. Source: Supplied

It is the fourth set of satellite images showing potential debris since March 16 but so far none has been psychically located or picked up from the ocean.

The latest images are not far from the objects seen on Australian and Chinese satellites on March 16 and 18.

Mr Hussein said it was now "imperative that we link the debris to MH370."

"This will enable us to further reduce the search area and locate more debris from the plane," he said, adding this would enable the search to move into the next phase of deep sea surveillance and salvage.

Mr Hussien also paid special tribute to Australia for its role in leading the difficult search.

"I would like to convey our appreciate to the Australian authorities and in particular to Prime Minister Tony Abbott for making such an extraordinary contribution to the search operation," Mr Hussein said.

Twelve planes and two ships searched on Wednesday.

Mr Hussein also defended his Government over growing Chinese criticism about the handling of the disaster.

He said until the debris is found the one question Chinese relatives are asking cannot be answered.

And in a veiled reference to the Chinese reaction, where there have been angry scenes and water bottles hurled at Malaysian officials and protest marches, Mr Hussein said many nations had lost loved ones.

"Time will heal emotions that are running high. We fully understand but for the Chinese families they must also understand that we in Malaysia also lost loved ones. There are so many nations that lost loved ones.

"I have seen some images coming from Australia, very rational, understanding that this is a global effort, not blaming directly ... because we are co-ordinating something that is unprecedented," Mr Hussein said.

He was referring to the Australian families of passengers meeting yesterday with Prime Minister Abbott.

Mr Hussein denied suggestions his country had taken a "bruising" over handling of the matter.

He said in a world full of divides, hate and death and in South-East Asia, where countries fight over rocks in the sea, the search for MH370 was a great achievement not a bruising.

"Speculation will go on and people will look to Malaysia but I think history will judge us well," he said.

LEGAL ACTION LAUNCHED OVER MH370

A US law firm says it has started "multi-million dollar'' proceedings against Malaysia Airlines and Boeing over flight MH370, in what could mark the start of an expensive legal battle over the lost plane.

Chicago-based Ribbeck Law Chartered International said today it filed a court petition in the US state of Illinois on Tuesday, seeking documents pertaining to possible design or mechanical defects or conduct by the airline that may have led to the disaster.

"We believe that both defendants named are responsible for the disaster of flight MH370," the firm said in a statement released in Kuala Lumpur.

"It is extremely important for the victims we represent that all responsible parties are brought to justice without exceptions,'' the statement said, quoting its head of aviation litigation Monica Kelly.

The "petition for discovery'' filed on Tuesday seeks potential evidence from the opposing party in any lawsuit.

The law firm said families "have initiated a multi-million dollar litigation process'', but did not specify how much in damages may be sought in the future.

The legal action was filed on behalf of Januari Siregar, "a lawyer who lost his son in the terrible crash'', the firm said. It gave no further details on the plaintiff.

"We must find what caused the aircraft to crash and demand that the problems with the airline and the aircraft's design and manufacturing are immediately resolved to avoid future tragedies," Kelly said.

Grief stricken ... a relative of passengers on the missing flight cries as she participates in a protest outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing. Source: AFP

Chinese families holed up in a Kuala Lumpur hotel have demanded that Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak meet them personally as Chinese anger of the handling of the case boils over.

The 18 family members who are staying in a hotel in Kuala Lumpur, were flown to Malaysia shortly after the plane went missing and say they want Mr Najib to explain what is going on and what evidence exists to show the plane actually crashed.

High-level talks are now underway in Kuala Lumpur in a bid to resolve the quickly escalating tensions and to decide if the Prime Minister doesn't meet the families, who should.

A special high-level envoy has flown from China to meet the Malaysian Government today as a looming diplomatic crisis gains pace.

It comes after Monday night's announcement, by the Prime Minister, that MH370 had ended in the Indian Ocean.

Angry and distraught Chinese families at the Everly Hotel shouted and demanded answers from the officials about what evidence existed that the plane had crashed and all on board were lost.

The wording of Mr Najib's statement that "flight MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean" was done delicately but in translation to Mandarin, which was more blunt about it having crashed with no survivors, the families became infuriated.

One official says that water bottles were thrown at officials before they managed to calm the situation.

The next day the Chinese relatives resolved to march on Prime Minister Najib's office on Tuesday to protest but were eventually talked out of it.

But they remain angry and are now demanding that Mr Najib meet them personally.

FRIEND HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT PILOT'S SANITY

As the search for MH370 intensifies, a disturbing new report has suggested the pilot was not in a fit state to fly as his marriage was crumbling.

The New Zealand Herald quotes an unnamed pilot and longtime associate of Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, who claimed the pilot was separating from his wife and had been seeing another woman.

The source — who spoke to the paper on the condition of anonymity — said the pilot had been "terribly upset" about the breakdown of his relationship and may have taken the plane on a "last joy ride".

Further information on this development is being sought. It comes just a day after UK media cited official sources suggesting suicide was increasingly being seen as the likely motive behind the disaster of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.

CAPTAIN ZAHARIE AHMAD SHAH CALLED 'MYSTERY WOMAN'

CAPTAIN ZAHARIE AHMAD SHAH'S DAUGHTER WAS IN AUSTRALIA

It also emerged that Shah's estranged wife Faizah Khan will be interrogated by Malaysian officials after increasing demands by the FBI.

Faizah Khan has not been questioned as Malaysian officials deemed it inappropriate for people in situations of "terrible bereavement (to face) the stress of intensive questioning".

"The whole world is looking for this missing plane and the person who arguably knows most about the state of mind of the man who captained the plane is being left alone," a source told the Malaysia Chronicle.

Claims have emerged saying Malaysia Airlines Pilot, Captain Zaharie was a follower of jailed Malaysian opposition leader.

The New Zealand report came as the search for the missing flight reaches a new level of intensity, with 12 aircraft, two ships and two NASA satellites scouring the southern Indian Ocean.

MALAYSIA AIRLINES FLIGHT'S FINAL UNEXPLAINED 'SQUAWK'

The latest search area, which has been narrowed to about 870,000 square kilometres, is set to be hampered by the weather again, with predictions of gales and thunderstorms in the search zone tomorrow.

Today's search is split into three areas within the same proximity covering a cumulative 80,000 square kilometres.

A total of six countries are now assisting in the search and recovery operation — Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Japan, China and the Republic of Korea.

Marriage breakdown ... Malaysian Airlines pilot Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shahwith his family. Source: Supplied

One Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from China departed Perth around 8am (AEDT) for the search area, followed by a New Zealand P3 Orion around 9.10am.

A RAAF P3 Orion was due to depart Perth at 11am, followed by a US Navy P8 Poseidon at 2pm, a Japanese P3 Orion at 3pm, a second RAAF P3 Orion at 4pm, and a Korean P3 Orion at 5pm.

Five civil aircraft are also participating in the search.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said 34 SES volunteers from WA will be observing on board.

Chinese polar supply ship Xue Long has also joined HMAS Success in the search area.

The search has been further bolstered by NASA deploying two of its satellites to monitor the search area.

"Obviously NASA isn't a lead agency in this effort. But we're trying to support the search, if possible," NASA communications director Allard Beutel told the website Universe Today.

Biggest day of search ever ... a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion takes off from RAAF Base Pearce. Picture: Rob Griffith Source: AP

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said 12 aircraft will be in the area today and more resources are on the way.

"Obviously we're throwing everything we have at this search," he told Channel Nine.

Mr Abbott said there will soon be Chinese naval and civilian ships joining the RAN Oiler HMAS Success in the search area, as well as black box recovery equipment from the United States.

But its deployment may have to be delayed, with warnings of potentially damaging weather conditions in the southern Indian Ocean tomorrow.

"We've mentioned the possibility of gale force winds and thunderstorms. These conditions are markedly worse than those of today,'' a Bureau of Meteorology spokesman told AAP.

"At the moment, the forecast is suggesting poor conditions tomorrow.''

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) will make a determination on the search activity later today.

Mr Abbott was asked how long Australia will search for the missing plane.

"We keep searching until there is absolutely no hope of finding anything," he said.

"It is not absolutely open-ended but it is not something we will lightly abandon.''

"Plainly there is quite a bit of debris in this part of the southern Indian Ocean. We've photographed it on a number of occasions now.

"We have not yet recovered any because of the difficulty of locating bits of debris in a vast ocean but we are just going to keep on looking.

"We owe it to the families."

ANALYSIS: How Malaysia fumbled communication at a time of crisis

Anger and disbelief ... Chinese relatives of flight MH370 passengers sit on a bus waiting to go to Malaysia embassy in protest. Picture: Lintao Zhang Source: Getty Images

MH370 FLIGHT RELATIVES IN PARLIAMENT

Family members of two Queensland couples who were on board the missing plane have listened in federal Parliament as Mr Abbott moved a condolence motion for the passengers on the ill fated flight.

Some of Rodney and Mary Burrows and Cathy and Bob Lawton's loved ones travelled to Canberra to meet with the Prime Minister.

"I want to assure them that Australia will do all it can to recover what we can from the southern Indian Ocean so that they can have the closure and eventually the peace that comes with understanding what happened," Mr Abbott told them at the start of Question Time.

"Madam Speaker, we mourn all those 239 passengers and crew. We especially mourn the six Australian citizens and the one Australian resident who must be presumed dead," he said.

The PM hoped the condolence motion would be of some comfort for those grieving.

"Four Australian families have an ache in their heart. Nothing we say or do can take that ache away," he conceded.

Mr Abbott said bad weather has prevented search teams from recovering any debris, but he was confident it could be found.

"The crash zone is about as close to nowhere as it's possible to be, but it's closer to Australia than anywhere else," he added.

HUNDREDS OF FAMILY MEMBERS EXPECTED IN PERTH

Several hundred family members of passengers and crew from flight MH370 are expected to travel to Perth in coming weeks, Premier Colin Barnett said.

The Chinese government and WA's Department of Premier and Cabinet was involved in the Commonwealth process to receive the families, he said.

"It's a little unclear yet exactly how this will pan out, but my understanding is that particularly the relatives of the Chinese passengers who have presumably lost their life will want to come to Perth to be as close as possible to, I guess, the final place,'' Mr Barnett said.

Part of the Aussie search effort ... flight engineer Warrant Officer Michael Makin on an AP-3C Orion. Source: Supplied

"We as a state government will certainly do all that we can to make their visit as pleasant it can be, given the circumstances. We'll host them, look after them.

"The West Australian people will do all they can to make sure they are as comfortable, as welcome as possible in what is a very sad event.''

Mr Barnett said a memorial service would be held if the relatives wanted it.

"We would certainly help with that,'' he said.

Perth Lord Mayor Lisa Scaffidi said the relatives who came to pay last respects would receive the utmost understanding and a warm welcome.

"We can all imagine the situation, their shock, worry and heartache,'' Ms Scaffidi said.

"We all hope and pray the plane and the black boxes will be found soon to enable the full story to be known.''

As the pilot sees it ... an RAAF AP-3C Orion crosses the coast over Perth. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: AFP

SHOW US THE PROOF, CHINA TELLS MALAYSIA

Overnight, Chinese authorities challenged Malaysia to explain their findings that the MH370 went down in the southern Indian Ocean.

Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered a special envoy to Kuala Lumpur to secure first-hand analysis while the deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangshend ordered Malaysia's ambassador to China to establish what it was that led the Malaysian Prime Minister to declare the plane had crashed in the Indian Ocean.

The airline's boss Mohammed Nor Mohammed Yusof said it was a "rational deduction" based on information from Inmarsat — short for the International Maritime Satellite Organisation — based in East London.

"The investigation still underway may yet prove to be even longer and more complex than it has been since March 8,'' he said.

CONTROVERSY: China demands evidence

The US and China are sending more resources to the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet.

THE LAST MOMENTS OF MH370

Malaysian authorities say MH370 probably plunged into the ocean sometime between 8.11am and 9.15am on Saturday March 8.

MH370 was last captured by satellite at 8.11am in a wide arc covering two massive northern and southern corridors. This was its last complete "handshake" with the Inmarsat satellite.

After that, at 8.19am there was evidence of the jetliner making a partial handshake with the ground station.

Then, sometime between 8.19am and 9.15am, it was no longer communicating with the ground station.

Investigators have therefore concluded that MH370 disappeared and crashed into a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean during that time.

Day of frustration ... little headway was made in the search yesterday as bad weather made detection impossible. Ground staff walk past a stationary RAAF Orion aircraft at Pearce Airbase in Bullsbrook. Picture: Greg Wood Source: AFP

THE CHALLENGE OF THE SEARCH

Gale force winds and heavy swells disrupted search and recovery efforts yesterday, but weather conditions are much better today.

The job of gathering this wreckage, and especially the black boxes, is an unprecedented challenge.

The crews who needed two years to find a black box from the Air France flight lost in the Atlantic in 2009 had much more information to go on.

Inmarsat's Senior Vice-President Chris McLaughlin says the southern flight path of MH370 is 'inescapable' according to their data.

"Even though that was the biggest and most complicated search for an aircraft in the ocean ever conducted, it was a relatively refined area compared with what we're talking about here," said US underwater wreck hunter David Mearns, who advised both British and French investigators in the Air France case.

David Ferreira, an oceanographer at the University of Reading in Britain, said little is known about the detailed topography of the seabed where Malaysia Flight 370 is believed to have crashed.

"We know much more about the surface of the moon than we do about the ocean floor in that part of the Indian Ocean,'' Ferreira said.

'A big area to trawl' ... a Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion takes off from RAAF Base Pearce on Wednesday. Picture: Rob Griffith Source: AP

FINDING THE BLACK BOXES

University of Sydney associate professor Peter Gibbens said it was a "race against time'' to detect and recover the black boxes, which may have sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

"(Recovery teams) are going to be pushing it with time,'' Professor Gibbens told AAP.

"The chances are stacked against them.''

"They're only going to have a few days at best, the transmitter is supposed to last for 30 days but it could be 28 or it could be 35, it depends on the specifics of the battery.

"They've got a big area to trawl.''

Professor Gibbens, from the university's School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering, said another challenge was the depth of the ocean in the area, said to be more than 4,000 metres in some parts.

"That's a long way down,'' he said.

"They're going to need some fairly good sonar equipment to find the wreckage.''

Another hurdle was that it could take up to a day for an unmanned vehicle to reach the underwater wreckage.

"Then they have to isolate where it (the black box) is on the fuselage,'' Professor Gibbens added.

Demanding answers ... grieving relatives of passengers on missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 protest with placards outside the Malaysian embassy in Beijing. Source: AFP

SIGHTINGS BUT NOTHING RETRIEVED

Satellites and planes have seen objects in the water, large and small, but nothing has been retrieved or positively identified as coming from the Boeing 777-200.

Geoff Dell, discipline leader of accident investigation at Central Queensland University, said that if the black boxes are found, it would be the most difficult search for a lost plane ever to succeed.

"We're not searching for a needle in a haystack," said Air Marshal Mark Binskin, Australia's deputy defence chief.

"We're still trying to define where the haystack is."

The search continues ... personnel from 11 Squadron on board an AP-3C Orion over the southern Indian Ocean. Source: Supplied

The job gets harder as every day the current carries wreckage away, said Erik van Sebille, an oceanographer at the University of New South Wales. He said the swirling and unpredictable nature of currents can spread items that begin in the same place hundreds of kilometres apart within weeks.

"It's like one giant pinball machine out there," he said.

Search areas ... a map prepared by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority on March 26. Source: Supplied

FLIGHTS TAKE OFF

One Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from China departed Perth around 8am (AEDT) for the search area, followed by a New Zealand P3 Orion around 9.10am.

A RAAF P3 Orion is scheduled to depart Perth at 11am, followed by a US Navy P8 Poseidon at 2pm, a Japanese P3 Orion at 3pm, a second RAAF P3 Orion at 4pm, and a Korean P3 Orion at 5pm.

Of the five civil aircraft participating in the search, two have already departed, with the remaining three all due to take off before midday (AEDT).

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said 34 SES volunteers from WA will be observing on board.

Tony Abbott says the families of those on flight MH370 will be welcomed to Australia if they wish to visit.

EARLIER: How close HMAS Success came to a discovery

BREAKTHROUGH: Tracing the pings of MH370

BLACK BOXES: The race against time

FAMILIES OF VICTIMS: Text nobody wanted

Authorities are now treating the information as definitive and the search effort in the northern corridor, has been called off. So too has the search in the northern part of the southern corridor, close to Indonesia.

Special sonar equipment from America — known as towed pinger locator — is due to arrive in Perth today and will be transferred to the Australian ship, Ocean Shield, which is expected to dock in Perth on March 28.

The ship and the locator are due to arrive at the search area on April 5.

The world awaits news ... high school students hold candles during a vigil for passengers of the missing Malaysia Airline flight MH370 in Lianyungang, east China's Jiangsu province. Source: AFP

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Your chance to grill the Premier

Coffee with Colin: Get ready for your second chance to fire a question at Premier Colin Barnett. Source: News Corp Australia

COLIN Barnett is back for more grilling from PerthNow readers – and this time we're doing it on a train.

PerthNow readers are being given the chance to hand-pick the questions they believe the Premier should answer in a new series, dubbed Coffee with Colin.

Each month, Mr Barnett will sit down with PerthNow and answer the 10 questions readers most want answered.

During the first Coffee with Colin last month, the Premier came under fire for telling West Australians who believe Elizabeth Quay and Perth's new stadium should pay the price for education cuts to "get a life".

Thursday's segment of Coffee with Colin will be recorded during a morning commute on a Perth train.

And readers will be able to hear exactly what the Premier had to say – with an audio recording of the monthly chats uploaded to the website.

Simply vote in the poll below and we'll ask the 10 most popular questions – as judged by PerthNow readers – on Thursday.

Is there a question you really want answered? Write your question in the comments below.

We will also be asking the question we believe is the best wildcard question offered by a PerthNow reader in the comments below or on our Facebook page.

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How do we know they’re dead?

As it has unfolded, the mystery of missing flight MH370 and the incredible twists and turns in world news coverage.

"Heartbreaking" conclusion: Malaysian officials said no one survived MH370's crash into the ocean. Picture: AP Source: AP

HOW can they be so sure everyone is dead?

After nearly three weeks of wishy-washy statements from authorities, the families of MH370 passengers were startled out of their agony by an unusually blunt text message from Malaysia Airlines. The plane is in the ocean and all your relatives are gone.

Many couldn't accept it. And why would they? No bodies have been found. There hasn't been any confirmed wreckage.

Look out below: An RAAF AP-3C Orion returns from a mission in the Indian Ocean. Picture: AP Source: AP

Jose Salvador Alvarenga claimed he spent more than a year at sea -- a voyage of more than 12,500km. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

While aviation expert Neil Hansford is sure authorities "haven't told us everything" -- he believes the announcement was based on all the evidence available.

"The reality is that all of the available evidence suggests the poor devils are lost and the aircraft is lost," Mr Hansford told news.com.au.

SEARCH HALTED: FAMILY'S AGONISING WAIT FOR ANSWERS

That takes into account all satellite data released by Australia, France and China as well as the engine data breakthrough overnight.

He continued: "While we all hold out dreams for what happened... this at least gives them (the families) some closure - if they choose to take the closure."

The decision also allows for the progress of insurance payouts, Mr Hansford said, which cannot occur while the families are in limbo, even though the full story may not be known for several years.

Adrift at sea: Salvadorean castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga washed up on the Marshall Islands on January 30. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

But still, how can Malaysian authorities say "beyond reasonable doubt" there were no survivors?

Stranger things have happened. Just last month, a "castaway" claimed he survived thirteen months adrift in the Atlantic on a leaky boat by drinking bird blood. Although it wasn't clear whether it was a miracle (or he was mad).

If there were MH370 survivors it would be a wonder even greater than the story of Stuart Diver -- the sole survivor of the Thredbo landslide in 1997.

Or that of Brant Webb and Todd Russell, the pair who were rescued from a collapsed Tasmanian mine after two weeks in April 2006.

Lifted: Stuart Diver was the sole survivor of the 1997 landslide. Eighteen died, including his wife Sally. Picture: News Corp Australia Source: News Limited

Survivors: Todd Russell and Brant Webb escaped Beaconsfield Mine with their lives. Source: NewsComAu

Oceanographer Erik van Sebille, from the University of NSW, said it would be near impossible to stay alive in the cold, 10-degree Celsius waters and rough conditions of the Indian ocean.

The area is in a notoriously gusty region of the south Indian Ocean with no land masses to slow the winds down.

"You'd really have no chance if you weren't in a life raft immediately," Dr Sebille said.

The search zone was initially identified as part of a 'southern corridor' stretching south from Kuala Lumpur. Picture: AMSA Source: Getty Images

Desperate hunt: Rescuers search for the missing jet in the Indian Ocean. Picture: AP Source: AP

These satellite pictures, provided by US satellite firm DigitalGlobe, were one of the first breakthroughs in the hunt for MH370. Picture: AP Source: AP

If survivors clung to plane debris it would have dispersed quickly throughout the ocean, he said. The seas would bump it around like a "pinball machine".

It has happened before. Back in 2009, a French teenager clung to life on the back of plane debris when a Yemenia Airlines Airbus crashed into stormy seas off the east African coast.

Baya Bakari, then 13, was the sole survivor of the disaster, holding on for more than 10 hours until rescue teams finally arrived. Cries for help faded away in the dark.

The bodies of more than 80 passengers, including Ms Bakari's mother, were recovered.

But after 17 days missing, experts doubt rescuers will even recover whole bodies of MH370 passengers.

"That's just not going to happen," said Mr Hansford.

"They would have already deteriorated in the water."

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Perth ready to embrace MH370 families

WA Premier Colin Barnett says the state will do 'whatever it can' to assist families of MH370 victims. Source: News Corp Australia

WA's peak hospitality body says Perth will be able to accommodate the families of the ill-fated Malaysia Airlines plane, believed to have crashed in the southern part of the Indian Ocean.

Following last night's announcement by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak that new data from satellite images have led them to conclude MH370 is somewhere near the current search area, it is expected relatives will arrive in Perth within days.

A spokesman from Malaysia Airlines told PerthNow the airline was still trying to find a suitable location close to the search area site and hoped to have further details by the end of today.

It is understood the airline is also looking for somewhere to set up a recovery centre.

Premier Colin Barnett said whatever assistance the commonwealth required would be provided through the state's Department of Premier and Cabinet.

``We are in discussions with them,'' Mr Barnett said.

``We will do whatever we can to welcome these families to Western Australia at this very sad time and assist with their stay here.''

Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods said the organisation had contacted Malaysia Airlines and offered to co-ordinate efforts to house relatives in the city.

"What we have done is offered to Malaysia Airlines assistance in co-ordinating available rooms," he said.

Australian Hotels Association WA chief executive Bradley Woods.

"We have done this in the past. On top of that we have communicated to the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the People's Republic of China Consulate and the Malaysian Consulate the same advice.

"We don't know what the specifics will be until they know what, when and how.

"If there are hundreds of family members that come to Perth in a particular period of time, I would imagine we will be able to assist in the provision of rooms.

"It won't be a question of non-availability. And there are hotels in Perth that can easily hold up 600 guests at any one stage."

Perth's Chinese community have also said they would help whatever way they could.

Chung Wah Association president Sammy Yap told PerthNow while it was still too early to say where the relatives would stay when they arrived, he said the association was more than happy to help and was essentially on "standby".

He said it has offered the use of its Northbridge premises saying not only was it central but would be easier for relatives to get to if they are housed in hotels in the city.

"While it is still too early to say what is happening, we are on standby if we are called on to help," Mr Yap said.

Sammy Yap, President of the Chung Wah Association

"What we are doing is actually respecting the wishes of the respective countries such as China and Malaysia which both have consulates in Perth.

"We would be happy to add to that if we are called on to assist, we will."

Earlier today Prime Minister Tony Abbott said the search had moved into "recovery stage" and that Australia would continue to assist in the investigation.

He also announced the Australian government would wave visa fees for relatives of MH370 passengers who chose to come to Perth to await further news of search efforts.

Perth councillor Lily Chen, the president of the Australian Chinese Women's Federation, said emotional support would also be available.

``We will be able to offer them comfort in any form, it is very important to ease the mental stress, sadness and shock,'' Ms Chen said.

Visa fees are expected to be waived for the families of passengers on the doomed flight, which included 152 Chinese nationals, while Defence Minister David Johnston said the logistical issues surrounding the arrival of grieving families were still being considered.

``The PM is very fixed on assisting Malaysia with the families of the crew and passengers,'' Senator Johnston said.

Fremantle Port Authority spokeswoman Ainslie De Vos said the port had not been approached about facilitating the delivery of any objects that might be found in the ocean, but was ready to help if and when needed.

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The final minutes of flight MH370

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak says new data confirms that missing Malaysian Airline flight 370 ended journey in southern Indian Ocean. Deborah Lutterbeck reports.

Sad end ... distraught relatives react to the news the plane went down. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP

As it has unfolded, the mystery of missing flight MH370 and the incredible twists and turns in world news coverage.

MALAYSIAN authorities have revealed more about the final minutes of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 and now say that it probably plunged into the ocean sometime between 8.11am and 9.15am on Saturday March 8.

The new details, which were garnered from never before used technology, have helped trace the Boeing 777-200's final deadly flight path.

MH370 was last captured by satellite at 8.11am in a wide arc covering two massive northern and southern corridors. This was its last complete "handshake" with the Inmarsat satellite.

After that, at 8.19am there was evidence of the jetliner making a partial handshake with the ground station.

Then, sometime between 8.19am and 9.15am, it was no longer communicating with the ground station.

Investigators have therefore concluded that MH370 disappeared and crashed into a remote area of the southern Indian Ocean during that time.

By this time the jet would have been out of fuel. Authorities have previously said that at 8.11am the jetliner would have had about 30 minutes worth of fuel left.

The news details of MH370's final flight path and its mystery disappearance were released last night by Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, in Kuala Lumpur.

Difficult to watch ... Selamat Omar, 60, who's son Khairul Amri was on a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, reacts while watching a live broadcast of a press conference on the latest developments in the search. Source: AP

They details were analysed by the satellite provider, Inmarsat and the UK Air Accidents Investigation Board, or AAIB.

Authorities are now treating the information as definitive and the search effort, in the northern corridor, has been called off. So too has the search in the northern part of the southern corridor, close to Indonesia.

Australia is now leading the search effort in the southern part of the southern corridor, 2500km south west of Perth which has now been narrowed from 2.24 million square nautical miles to 469,207 square nautical miles.

As many as 12 aircraft are expected to be involved in the search tomorrow, including seven military aircraft and five civil aircraft.

HMAS Success will return to the search area and conduct a surface sweep of an area identified on Monday afternoon by a Royal Australian Air Force P3 Orion as the location for several objects of interest.

GALLERY: The search for MH370

Mr Hussein said he presumed that any debris from the missing plane would be brought to Australia and he suggested that it would fall to Australia as well to investigate.

However under ICAO laws, if the plane crashed in international waters, the investigation is the responsibility of the country of the carrier.

Malaysia's responsibility ... if the wreckage is found in international water the responsibility for the recovery of the missing plane would lie with Malaysia. Source: AFP

Searches were yesterday called off due to bad weather. A further two Korean aircraft were expected in Perth and six Chinese ships are in the search region.

Mr Hussein said that special sonar equipment from America — known as towed pinger locator — was due to arrive in Perth on Wednesday and would be transferred to the Australian ship, Ocean Shield, which is expected to dock in Perth on March 28. The ship and the locator is then due to arrive at the search area on April 5.

The equipment will help in the bid to locate the plane's black box, which holds many of the keys to what happened to the plane and why it veered so far off its course from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8.

Mr Hussein told the Malaysian Parliament yesterday of his "gratitude" to Australia for its role in leading the search operation.

Meanwhile the Malaysian Police chief yesterday refused to release any findings of the police investigation so far. The investigation continue to focus on four areas — hijack, sabotage or personal or psychological problems among the pilots, crew or passengers.

"I am not ready to release any findings yet because that would jeopardise the ongoing investigations," Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar said.

Devastated ... Malaysia Airlines Group CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya, left, speaks during a press conference as Nor Yusof, chairman of Malaysia Airlines listens at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Picture: Vincent Thian Source: AP

'WE'RE PRAYING FOR PASSENGERS AND CREW'

The CEO of Malaysia Airlines says the airline has extended its prayers to the families of the 239 passengers on board missing Flight MH370.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said he was devastated the passengers didn't make it to their destination alive.

"We do not know why, we do not know how this terrible tragedy happened. But as MAS family, we all praying for passengers & crew of MH370," he told a media conference in Kuala Lumpur.

The airline was criticised for informing relatives by text message that the plane had crashed, but the CEO said they did so as they wanted the families to hear the news before the rest of the world.

Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said all next-of-kin relatives had been paid $5000. He said the Australian Government would only grant visas to relatives once evidence of the plane had been found.

Asked if he would resign, he said it was a personal decision, and it would be taken later.

In Beijing, hundreds of angry protesters, many of them relatives of passengers, gathered at the Malaysian embassy to demonstrate against the Malaysia's handling of the disaster.

The search effort for wreckage from the lost airliner will be boosted with the arrival of a South Korean C-130 Hercules transport and P-3 Orion maritime surveillance aircraft at the RAAF's Pearce base near Perth.

Furious ... Chinese relatives walk towards the Malaysian Embassy in Beijing, China, where hundreds of protesters gathered to demand answers from Malaysian authorities about the fate of the flight. Picture: Lintao Zhang Source: Getty Images

The hunt for debris was suspended earlier due to bad weather as huge seas slammed the search area.

At midday today the sea state was estimated at between six and seven on the World Meteorological Organisation chart and that means waves of between four and nine metres.

Such conditions make finding or retrieving any debris virtually impossible and they increase the risk of wreckage sinking under the weight of the waves.

"Due to rough seas, HMAS Success departed the search area early this morning and is now in transit south of the search area until seas abate," the Australian Maritime Safety Authority advised this morning.

"The area is also forecast to experience strong gale force winds of up to 80km/h, periods of heavy rain, and low cloud with a ceiling between 200 and 500 feet."

AMSA said conducting the search in such conditions would be hazardous and pose a risk to crews.

This morning, AMSA stated that search operations were "expected to resume tomorrow, if weather conditions permit", but if conditions continue to deteriorate it could be several days before the search is resumed.

The suspension comes after Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak confirmed that a new analysis of satellite data showed that the missing plane plunged into the Indian Ocean, presumably killing all those on board.

The cause of the incident remains unknown, although there are increasing suggestions that pilot suicide may have been to blame.

Search suspended ... this satellite image shows severe tropical cyclone Gillian off the Western Australian coast. Credit: Bureau of Meteorology Source: Supplied

Mr Najib said the Inmarsat satellite company had taken advantage of a never-before used technology and found that MH370 flew along the southern corridor.

"Its last position was in the middle of the Indian Ocean west of Perth," he said 17 days after MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

Search mission ... the crew of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft during the search yesterday. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: Getty Images

The United States Navy is also sending a deep-sea drone to help in the search for the emergency signals that should be being emitted by MH370's 'black boxes'. These signals are supposed to be automatically activated in the event of a crash.

The Bluefin 21 drone is designed to be flown to areas of need before being towed behind a ship at depths where it is still enough and quiet enough to hear the "pings".

The search for the missing Boeing 777 is taking place in a section of the southern Indian Ocean known as the "Roaring Forties" for the strong westerly winds that blow between latitude 40 degrees and 50 degrees.

University of New South Wales oceanographer Dr Erik van Seville said the area was characterised by cold fronts that sweep east every four to five days, causing pounding 6m waves and churning up the icy seas.

"This is the beginning of the roaring 40s, where the influence of the Antarctic continent starts," he said.

"The winds become very strong, the water temperature is about 4 degrees and the waves are very high."

REACTION: Sadness touches all in Malaysia

Satellite data has confirmed flight MH370 carrying 239 people crashed into the southern Indian Ocean.

FORMULA ONE CONCERT CANCELLED 'AS A SIGN OF RESPECT'

A concert to mark Malaysia's Formula One Grand Prix weekend which was set to feature US star Christina Aguilera has been cancelled due to a passenger jet crash, its sponsor said.

State oil company Petronas, which sponsors the Mercedes F1 racing team and the annual concert, said it called off the show as "a sign of respect to the families and next-of-kin of the crew and passengers of flight MH370".

Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that the Malaysia Airlines flight, which went missing on March 8 en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people aboard, had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean.

The concert was to be held Friday and Saturday at the Kuala Lumpur Twin Towers and feature Aguilera, Korean star Rain and R & B musician Craig David.

"It is truly a tragedy and we are deeply saddened about the crew and passengers of flight MH370," said a statement by Petronas on the concert's Facebook page.

Formula One organisers were to meet later today to discuss a possible tribute to victims at this weekend's event.

Mercedes driver Nico Rosberg, who arrived in the Malaysian capital earlier, said on Twitter that "all my prayers go to friends & families of the passengers on # MH370".

Malaysia will also host a Eurasia Cup golf tournament and the prestigious Laureus sports awards this week.

Laureaus World Sports Academy, which will honour last year's top sports figures Wednesday, said it would have a reduced program because of the disaster.

Academy chairman Edwin Moses said a football friendly between past greats would be dedicated to those hit by the disaster

FAMILIES INFORMED BY TEXT MESSAGE

Malaysia Airlines informed the relatives of MH370 passengers of the news via SMS message.

"Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume beyond any reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and that none of those on board survived ... we must now accept all evidence suggests the plane went down in the southern Indian Ocean," the text stated.

At the press conference, Mr Najib confirmed the worst fears of passengers' families.

"This is a remote location far from any possible landing sites," he said.

Informed by text message ... grieving relatives after being told the news. Picture: Goh Chai Hin Source: AFP

"It is therefore with deep sadness that I regret that I must inform you that according to this new data that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean.

"The past few weeks have been heartbreaking. I know this news must be harder still."

The announcement was greeted with an outpouring of grief by the relatives of passengers.

The loved-ones of Chinese passengers, who made up the majority of travellers on the flight, were called to a hotel near the airport in Beijing to hear the announcement. Afterwards, they filed out of a conference room grief-stricken.

One woman collapsed and fell on her knees, crying "My son! My son!"

Heartbreak ... a relative of a passenger on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 cries after hearing the news that the plane plunged into the Indian Ocean. Picture: Goh Chai Hin/AFP Source: AFP

MH370: Copilot's first 777 flight without a minder

ANALYSIS: Recovery operation will stretch Australia's capabilities

ANGER FROM FAMILIES

A statement purporting to be from families of the passengers denounced the airline, the Malaysian government and the military as "the real executioners".

"From March 8 when they announced that MH370 lost contact to today, 18 days have passed during which the Malaysian government and the military constantly tried to delay, deceive the passengers' families and cheat the whole world," the statement read in part.

"We will take every possible means to pursue the unforgivable crimes and responsibility of all three (the airline, government and military)."

The veracity of the statement has not yet been verified.

It refers to 154 passengers who died, suggesting that the statement has been made on behalf of the victims of the families of the Chinese passengers only.

Most of the relatives refused to speak to gathered reporters and some lashed out in anger, urging journalists not to film the scene. Security guards restrained a man with close-cropped hair as he kicked a TV cameraman and shouted, "Don't film. I'll beat you to death!"

The daughter of MH370's chief steward Andrew Nari sent Twitter messages after the news broke. Maira Elizabeth Nari said: "I just don't know what to say about it. :')

In another message, she wrote: "I don't know what to say to all of you, but thank you so much for the support. To my closest friends, thank you. God bless all of you! :') x"

The airline said it would transport families to Perth if parts of the plane are found. It said the "ongoing multinational search operation will continue as we seek answers to the questions which remain''.

Bearer of bad news ... Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak during his press conference. Picture: Joshua Paul/AP Source: AP

THEORY: Was MH370 on a suicide mission?

TOURISM: Has MH370 changed perceptions about Malaysia?

HAND OVER DATA, CHINA TELLS MALAYSIA

China has demanded that Malaysia hand over the satellite data which led to its judgment that missing flight MH370 crashed at sea and that none on board survived.

In a meeting late Monday, Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng asked Malaysia's Ambassador to China, Iskandar Bin Sarudin, to provide the "detailed evidence'' that led to the conclusion, China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

"We demand the Malaysian side to state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgment as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis,'' Xie said, according to a statement on the ministry's website.

"The search and rescue work cannot stop now, we demand the Malaysian side to continue to finish all the work including search and rescue,'' Xie said.

Grief and anger ... a relative of one of the Chinese passengers reacts after being told of the latest news. Picture: AP Photo/Ng Han Guan Source: AP

END OF UNCERTAINTY

The news ends weeks of uncertainty over the fate of the passenger jet, although there is still no clear answer as to how or why the plane went down.

Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the announcement by the Malaysian PM moved the search to a "new phase".

"It moves it to a stage where we are now investigating an accident," he told reporters in Parliament House.

Mr Truss said "new decisions" will have to be made about the future of operations now and that Malaysia needs to take control of investigations under the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

He admitted "not a lot of progress" was made overnight and given the weather, there will be further setbacks in the search today.

Radar watch ... crew on board an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft search for signs. Picture: Richard Wainwright Source: AP

MASTHEADS REMEMBER VICTIMS

Malaysian newspapers ran striking black front pages on Tuesday in tribute to the victims.

Malaysia's biggest English-language daily, The Star, ran a stark wraparound cover emblazoned with the words "MH370 R.I.P.'' The names of the victims, rendered in small print, made up the letters of the headline.

The New Straits Times' darkened front page showed an aircraft above the words "Goodnight, MH370'' - a reference to the last message from the cockpit, "All right, good night'', before the Malaysia Airlines jet lost contact on March 8.

Malay and Chinese-language papers also ran front pages with black backgrounds, while The Sun, an English-language daily, changed its masthead to black.

The Star said in an editorial that the relatives' "long wait for some form of closure has finally arrived''.

But it called for unsparing efforts to establish the reasons for the crash.

On social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, many Malaysians turned their profile backgrounds black or displayed a plane icon in tribute to the victims.

Waiting out the storm ... the HMAS Success, pictured from an RAAF AP-3C Orion on Monday. Picture: Department of Defence / Leading Seaman Justin Brown Source: AFP

'WE WILL WELCOME FAMILIES': ABBOTT

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said family members of those on board will be embraced if they want to travel to Australia during the search effort.

"This has been a desperately difficult time for thousands and thousands of people right around the globe, particularly in China as well as in Malaysia," the Prime Minister told reporters in Canberra.

"I understand that the loved ones of those on that plane may well wish to come to Australia in coming days and weeks; they will find a welcoming country that is more than willing to embrace them in this very difficult time," he said.

Australia played a key role in identifying the southern Indian Ocean as the most likely crash site.

On March 16, an Australian satellite image picked up what appeared to be debris of about 24 metres in length in the area. A Chinese satellite spotted further debris 120km away two days later.

The confirmation the plane went down came after Prime Minster Tony Abbott announced that two "objects" were located by an RAAF spotter plane. Mr Abbott told Parliament the first object was grey or green and circular and the second was orange and rectangular. Experts believe the orange items could possibly be life rafts.

TIMING: Disaster film shelved

Tough assignment ... a crewmen of an RAAF AP-3C Orion aircraft looks out from an observation window. Picture: Richard Wainwright/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

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Steenkamp ‘scared of’ Pistorius: text

A court has heard Oscar Pistorius shot his girlfriend in the hip before hitting her fatally in the head.

Defence... Oscar Pistorius claims he shot Reeva Steenkamp after mistaking her for an intruder. Source: AFP

OSCAR Pistorius's girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp told the athlete she was sometimes scared of him in a text message nearly three weeks before he shot her dead, a South African court has heard.

"I'm scared of you sometimes and how you snap at me and how you react to me,'' Steenkamp said in a message after the athlete thought she had flirted with another man, the court heard.

A neighbor of Oscar Pistorius also testified at his murder trial on Monday that she heard gunshots as well as screams from both a man and a woman on the night that the double-amputee runner fatally shot girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp.

Horrific end ... Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead through a locked toilet door. Source: AFP

The testimony by Anette Stipp matched some of the testimony by other witnesses who have said they also heard a woman screaming around the time that Pistorius killed Steenkamp before dawn on February 14, 2013.

The defence has countered that the neighbors were actually hearing Pistorius screaming in a high-pitched voice after he shot Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model. Pistorius has said he shot his girlfriend by mistake through a locked toilet door, thinking that she was an intruder in his home.

Chief prosecutor Gerrie Nel opened Monday's court session by noting evidence will include analysis of cellular telephones, including two that were removed from the bathroom where the shooting happened.

Investigators had been chasing information on Pistorius' locked iPhone for months and met Apple officials in the United States just before the trial started on March 3. Pistorius has said he forgot the password to his phone.

Oscar Pistorius plans to sell his Pretoria house where he shot dead his girlfriend last year.

Ms Stipp, the neighbour, said under questioning from Nel that she heard gunshots while lying awake around 3am on the night of the shooting, and then heard the "terrified, terrified'' screams of a woman.

"The screaming at that stage just continued,'' said Ms Stipp, who recalled looking out from a balcony at two houses with lights on in the gated estate where her family and Pistorius lived.

She said she told her husband Johan, who previously testified, that the screaming sounded as though a "family murder'' had taken place.

"There was definitely a female screaming for quite a period,'' Anette Stipp said. "You could definitely hear two different voices.''

She said she then heard a second set of shots, and the screaming stopped.

The defence has said that Mr Pistorius fired into the door and then battered the door with a cricket bat to get to Steenkamp after realising she was inside the toilet cubicle. Roux insists that some neighbors who testified mistook the sound of the cricket bat striking the door for gunshots.

Defence lawer Kenneth Oldwadge pressed Anette Stipp on her recollections of that night, questioning whether she was inside her house or on a balcony while hearing what she said were shots and screams, and whether she was alert because she had said she was slightly ill at the time.

Mr Nel has said he will wrap up his case against Mr Pistorius this week after calling four or five more witnesses to support his contention that the Olympian intentionally killed Steenkamp after an argument. The defence will then present its case.

Judicial officials say the trial will continue until May 16, with a recess in April.

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Tourist still critical after lightning hit

Stefanie Wiedenroth who was struck by lightning. Source: Supplied

Stefanie Wiedenroth who was struck by lightning. Source: Supplied

A YOUNG German backpacker who was struck by lightning in rural WA is fighting for her life and remains in a critical condition.

Stefanie Wiedenroth, 22, was struck by lightning on Friday morning and is not expected to survive her injuries.

But tonight, a Royal Perth Hospital spokeswoman told PerthNow that Ms Wiedenroth remained in a critical condition.

Ms Wiedenroth was working for a sheep crutching contractor at Muntadgin near Bruce Rock when she was hit just before 9am on Friday.

Her fellow workers performed CPR on her before taking her to hospital.

She was taken to Bruce Rock Hospital and later flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service

Her parents arrived from Germany to be at her bedside over the weekend.

The 22-year-old's employer Darren Major said he was standing about 25m away from Ms Wiedenroth went down.

"We were getting ready to work and Stefanie was walking around in a paddock getting ready," he said.

"Right above us it was basically blue skies but just off to the west of us there were clouds brewing but nothing to be concerned about; it was basically just a normal day.

"It was just a freak lightning strike, that's the only way I can describe it."

Mr Major said four other people standing close to Ms Wiedenroth at the time the lightning hit were also thrown to the ground but weren't seriously injured.

"I was next to a truck and a spark jumped from the truck to my side, about a two to three inch spark," he said.

"I didn't get pushed over but it certainly made me jump.

"This morning it felt like I've woken up after a game of football — the right side of my ribs are sore and it just feels like somebody has punched me in the back of the head on the left hand side."

Workers performed CPR on Ms Wiedenroth for about six minutes while Mr Major called for help.

It's understood WorkSafe will investigate the incident.

A lightning storm between Merredin and Bruce Rock taken by Western Power Linesman Ryan Ash. Source: Supplied

Shortly after Ms Wiedenroth was hit, Merredin local Ryan Ash photographed the imposing storm in the region.

It is believed this is Ms Wiedenroth's second solo backpacking trip to Australia and her second trip to Muntadgin in the WA Wheatbelt.

Mr Major said Ms Wiedenroth had many friends in the tight-knit community and was well-liked.

"She's full of energy, really enjoyed the country lifestyle. She said it was a totally different experience from Germany," he said.

"We just hope that she pulls through and makes a recovery from this but at this stage I'm not too sure."

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