Objects have nothing to do with MH370

Tony Abbott visits MH370 search headquarters in Perth, saying Australia will keep looking for the missing plane, for the sake of the families.

An Australian Orion aircraft has identified sevreal orange objects in the southern Indian in the search for flight MH370.

Searching ... a South Korean P3 Orion helping in the hunt for MH370. Source: AP

ORANGE objects spotted by a plane searching for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet have turned out to be nothing more than fishing equipment, as prime minister Tony Abbott declared there's no time limit on the search for MH370.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said the objects had been analysed and spokesman Jesse Platts said "they have nothing to do with the missing flight.''

An Australian P-3 Orion search plane spotted at least four orange objects in waters west of Perth on Sunday and were described by Orion pilot Russell Adams as the most promising lead in the search so far.

But despite yet another false alarm, Mr Abbott said the search will not be scaled down.

"I'm certainly not putting a time limit on it ... We can keep searching for quite some time to come,'' Abbott told reporters today at RAAF Pearce, the Perth military base coordinating the operation.

"We owe it to the families, we owe it to everyone that travels by air, we owe it to the anxious governments of the countries who had people on that aircraft. We owe it to the wider world which has been transfixed by this mystery for three weeks now.''

The Australian vessel with the job MH370 conducted sea trials of hi-tech detection equipment today before its 1850km journey to a tract of the southern Indian Ocean west of Perth.

The trials included a US Navy black box detector, an unmanned underwater vehicle and other acoustic detection equipment.

While the support vessel Ocean Shield is expected to take up to four days to reach the huge, 319,000 square kilometre search zone, another navy ship, the frigate HMAS Toowoomba, at top speed reached the area by mid-morning today after two days at sea.

Malaysian Guided Missile Frigate KD Lekiu arrived at HMAS Stirling this evening to receive briefings on the MH370 search operations west of Perth.

A P3 Orion helping in the search. Source: AP

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It's a race against time, given the box's low-frequency acoustic beacon has a limited battery life. That has extended from an estimated 30 days to roughly 45 days, according to Captain Mark Matthews, a US Navy equipment specialist.

"These are rated to last 30 days, but that is a minimum. In my experience, they do last a little bit longer than that,'' Capt Matthews said yesterday.

But the operation remained an extraordinarily difficult exercise, Mr Abbott said.

"We are searching a vast area of ocean and working with quite limited information,'' he said after touring the Pearce base, where search planes from seven nations are being deployed, involving 550 personnel.

Defence Minister David Johnston said about 1000 sailors were looking for debris at sea - but the task was still onerous.

While each country involved was currently bearing its own costs, Australia was paying for running the co-ordination centre, which will have about 20 staff and be led by retired air chief marshall Angus Houston from Perth CBD headquarters.

Mr Abbott also said his Malaysian counterpart was not too hasty in announcing last week - before any debris had been recovered or confirmed as being from MH370 - that the plane was lost in the southern Indian Ocean and all on board were assumed dead.

"That's the absolute overwhelming weight of evidence and I think that Prime Minister Najib Razak was perfectly entitled to come to that conclusion,'' he said.

In China, home to 153 people on board the flight, a comment piece in the China Daily newspaper called for "rationality'' among relatives - some of whom insist their loved ones could still be alive.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority said four planes were currently in the search area with another six en route.

Speaking alongside newly appointed search coordinator Angus Houston, Mr Abbott praised the work of those searching for MH370 during a tour of the base, saying the "best brains in the world" are on the task.

But he admitted until any wreckage is found, authorities will have to keep relying on "guesstimates".

"All of the technological mastery that we have is being applied ... so if this mystery is solvable, we will solve it," the Prime Minister told reporters.

"But I don't want to underestimate just how difficult it is."

Mr Abbott said it was "tremendous" to see such international cooperation.

"We have regular military cooperation with the United States, with New Zealand and with Malaysia, but to see also the cooperation with us from China, from Japan and from Korea is really heartening," he said.

"It demonstrates that in a humanitarian cause, the nations of this region can come together to work for the betterment of humanity, can work to try to resolve this extraordinary mystery, can work to try to bring peace and closure to the families of the 239 people on board that ill-fated aircraft."

Committed ... Angus Houston and Tony Abbott front the media in Perth. Source: Getty Images

Despite three weeks passing, Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss insisted momentum is building with more ships being added each day.

"It's a priority for us to try and recover the black box recorder of this aircraft as soon as possible," Mr Truss said.

Mr Houston expressed how delighted he was to coordinate the search effort.

"I will be coordinating with my people at the international level, at the national level and of course most importantly, with the families," he said.

But the retired Air Chief Marshal insisted he wasn't running the search.

"I will obviously be focussed very much on coordination ... I'm not here to do the detailed operational stuff that is being taken care of very professionally by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority and the Defence Force," he said.

Ready for action ... an underwater search-surveying vehicle. Source: AP

Mr Abbott said Australia is bearing the cost of running the coordination centre.

Earlier, it was revealed that crew on board an Australian Orion aircraft located the several objects, greater than two metres in size, in a five nautical mile area within the huge search zone where the Malaysia Airlines plane is thought to have gone down.

Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams said last night: "I must stress that we can't confirm the origin of these objects ... the details of these, in association with a GPS buoy have been passed on to our rescue coordination centre."

READ MORE: SEARCH ZONE THE SIZE OF VICTORIA

Photos of the objects were assessed to determine whether they were related to the missing airliner, which was carrying 239 people when it disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing more than three weeks ago.

If authorities found the debris were from MH370, a ship would have been be sent to the location.

Adams said he was hopeful of finding more objects if favourable weather conditions continued.

Promising lead ... RAAF Flight Lieutenant Russell Adams. Source: Getty Images

"For my crew and from our perspective, this was the most visibility we [have] had in the water of any objects ... and gave us the most promising leads," he said.

Other planes and ships working the new search zone 1800km west of Perth failed yesterday to turn up any signs of the wreckage. Some items hauled aboard the Chinese vessel Haixun 01 and Australia's HMAS Success on Friday turned out to be sea junk.

The search shifted 1100km north last week after calculations by international aviation experts working in Malaysia, who estimate based on radar data that MH370 flew faster and burned more fuel than previously thought.

In the absence of any other significant leads, the search not only presses on, it has intensified.

A total of 10 aircraft will be involved in the search effort today.

Search aid ... an underwater search-surveying vehicle in Perth. Source: AP

"The Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft is scheduled to depart about 9am," AMSA said in an update. "The US Navy P8 Poseidon and RNZAF P3 Orion are scheduled to depart about 11am. The Republic of Korea P3 Orion is scheduled to depart about 11.30am."

Ten ships will also be assisting, including HMAS Success and HMAS Toowoomba.

The naval support vessel Ocean Shield is set to steam from Garden Island off Perth for the search area, loaded with a towable pinger locator which is hoped may locate the plane's black box before its batteries expire in around seven days.

The ship also took aboard an autonomous underwater vehicle, or AUV, which will be programmed to search in patterns at depths between 2000m and 4000m.

Captain Mark Matthews from the US Navy warned it took two years to locate the wreckage from the 2009 Air France disaster, even though they knew the approximate location where it went down.

Prayers ... a candle light vigil in Kuala Lumpur. Source: Getty Images

As the search continues, some 30 Chinese implacable family members of passengers on board MH370 arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

They unfurled red and white banners in protest at what they claim is a lack of transparency and the truth from Malaysia.

"We want evidence, we want the truth, we want our family back," angry Chinese relatives chanted at an impromptu protest in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

"Hand us the murderer. Tell us the truth. Give us our relatives back," one banner read. "You must return relatives of MH370. No strings attached."

The group's spokesman, who gave his name as Mr Kong, said the briefings in Beijing provided by government officials were insufficient and they wanted to meet with Malaysian officials, Boeing, the airline and the Inmarsat satellite company.

"The announcement that the plane crashed into the southern Indian Ocean was just based on speculation," Mr Kong said.

Demanding answers ... Chinese relatives with protest banners. Source: AP

Malaysia Airlines said would make arrangements to fly family members to Perth, once wreckage was confirmed. It said an assistance centre would be established and families would be taken to view any of the plane's wreckage.

Mr Abbott has appointed former Defence chief Angus Houston to co-ordinate Australia's search, which now involves ships and planes from seven nations after Malaysia finally joined the efforts.

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"Should our responsibilities increase as time goes by, there is no one better placed than Angus to co-ordinate and liaise given the quite significant number of countries that have a stake in this search," Mr Abbott said.

"This government won't rest to give those families and the wider community of the world a little more peace and insight into exactly what happened."

Pray for MH370 ... messages of support in Beijing. Source: AFP

Meanwhile, grieving mother Danica Weeks said she was "sickened" by a text message from Malaysia Airlines saying that her husband, Paul, a New Zealand resident of Perth, was dead.

"Sickened that someone would actually send me a text message to say that my loved one was dead," she told 60 Minutes last night. "It's my husband, my loving husband, the father of my children and you send me a text message."

Ms Weeks said she felt for her children, Lincoln, 3, and Jack, 11 months, who would grow up without the father they reminded her so much of.

"Lincoln, it's just his personality and Jack is just the splitting image of him," she said.

Immeasurable loss ... Danica Weeks with Lincoln, 3 and Jack, 11 months. Source: News Corp Australia

Flight MH370 left its scheduled course in the early hours of March 8 in the Gulf of Thailand en route to Beijing.

It is believed based on Malaysian radar data and from calculations made by British satellite provider Inmarsat that the flight turned south and flew for between six to eight hours into the Indian Ocean.

It now appears the Indian Ocean is strewn with garbage, misleading analysts who thought they were studying satellite images of possible debris fields from the jet.

One of Australia's RAAF Orion P3s was diverted to fly 648km north of the Antarctic mainland to investigate an emergency distress beacon activated by a Tanzanian-registered fishing vessel.

AMSA, which also sent a civilian jet out of Melbourne to assist, was unable to establish communications with the vessel, which was in a location of extreme bad weather.

It said debris was spotted in the location and there were now grave fears for the crew's safety.

False lead ... an object floats in the southern Indian Ocean. Source: AP

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NRL shattered by McKinnon diagnosis

Matty Johns says everyone in sport not just rugby league is in shock to hear the tragic news Newcastle Knights' Alex McKinnon may never walk again.

Alex McKinnon has been diagnosed as a quadriplegic. Source: News Limited

FORMER Newcastle great Matthew Johns said on Monday night that all of sport and not just rugby league will be in total shock today at the news young Knights forward Alex McKinnon is facing life as a quadriplegic.

The 22 year backrower, still in a critical condition in a Melbourne hospital, has only limited feeling in his left arm and faces the heartbreaking likelihood of never being able to walk again.

Alex McKinnon is tackled by Trent Merrin, Beau Scott and Nathan Fien. Source: News Limited

Johns told Fox Sports last night the tragic news, reported on Channel Nine last night, will reverberate through all sport in Australia.

BENNETT: ALEX IS LIKE A SON TO ME

A CITY STOPS FOR WOUNDED HERO

"Everyone in sport, not just rugby league are in total shock," Johns said.

"It was always a chance it was going to be this type of terrible news but everyone was praying that it wouldn't be.

Wayne Bennett has urged Newcastle to continue to support Alex McKinnon after the Knights recorded an emotional 30-0 win over the Sharks at Hunter Stadium.

"Then you get the news come through of this young boy who is so universally liked and respected in rugby league may not walk again."

The NRL, caught by complete surprise by the report, responded cautiously in a statement:

"I understand this has been reported on Channel 9 but we've not received this advice by the Knights or Alex's family in regards to these reports," NRL spokeperson Sandy Olsen said.

"Out of regard for Alex and his family, it is not appropriate to comment at this time.

"Our thoughts continue to be with Alex for his recovery. The NRL and the Knights are providing all the support we possibly can at this time."

The Newcastle team in a huddle before the clash with the Sharks in a tribute to Alex McKinnon. Source: Getty Images

Newcastle fans show their support for Alex McKinnon. Source: News Corp Australia

The Newcastle Knights were also left largely in the dark by the news.

"The club will continue to liaise with Alex's family and issue the appropriate update. At this stage, we have no further update," their spokesperson said.

McKinnon was brought out of an induced coma on Sunday and hopes of a recovery were raised when it was revealed he was breathing on his own without the assistance of a ventilator and communicating with his family.

The Newcastle Knights have taken home their first win of the season, paying homage to teammate Alex McKinnon who remains in hospital after injuring his spine last week.

But according to Channel Nine, the prognosis for McKinnon is grim.

"McKinnon and his family have been told he is a quadriplegic," the report stated.

"He is in rehab and care and will hopefully recover. His spinal cord is not severed.

"Not surprisingly, he is struggling with the news."

McKinnon was due to get a visit today by Knights teammates including captain Kurt Gidley but only coach Wayne Bennett made the trip down to Melbourne.

Alex McKinnon has touched plenty of hearts at the Knights. Source: News Corp Australia

Bennett did not want to comment on the report when asked by The Daily Telegraph.

Director of St Vincents Hospital Emergency Department Professor Gordian Fulde would not comment on the McKinnon case last night but described the diagnosis of quadriplegia as "a life sentence".

He said the injury would renew the tackle debate.

"I think this is going to stimulate the whole matter of how people are tackled because the neck vertebrae in a human are very fragile, "he said.

He said the outlook for McKinnon wouldn't be able to be known for at least a year.

"You don't give the final ability until at least twelve months because of the ability of a young body to compensate and there are also a whole lot of scientific advances," he said.

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Fyfe, Dawson to miss GF replay

Nathan Fyfe of the Dockers handballs during the round two AFL match between the Fremantle Dockers and the Gold Coast Suns at Patersons Stadium. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images Source: Getty Images

FREMANTLE'S Nathan Fyfe will miss this Friday's blockbuster match against premiers Hawthorn after copping a two-match suspension for rough conduct.

Fyfe was charged with a Level Two Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence (225 demerit points, two-match sanction), for engaging in rough conduct against Michael Rischitelli of the Gold Coast, during the third quarter of the Round Two match between Fremantle and Gold Coast, at Patersons Stadium on Saturday.

The Match Review Panel said today that due to his "previous poor record'', the two-match sanction must remain at two matches, even with an early plea.

"Based on the video evidence available and medical report from the Gold Coast SUNS Football Club, the incident was assessed as negligent conduct (one point), medium impact (two points) and high contact (two points),'' the panel said in a statement this afternoon.

Fyfe is helped to his feet after a heavy bump at Patersons Stadium.

"This is a total of five activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level Two Offence, drawing 225 demerit points and a two-match sanction. He has a bad record of 50 demerit points carried over within the last 12 months, increasing the penalty to 275 points and a two-match sanction. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 206.25 points and a two-match sanction.''

Meanwhile fellow Docker Zac Dawson — charged with a Level One Tripping Offence (80 demerit points, reprimand) for tripping Brandon Matera — will miss one match.

"In summary, due to his previous poor record he can accept a one-match sanction with an early plea,'' the Match Review Panel said.

Fyfe leaves the field with cut to his brow during the match between against the Suns at Patersons Stadium on Saturday night. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images

"Based on the video evidence available and a medical report from the Gold Coast SUNS Football Club, the incident was assessed as reckless (two points), low impact (one point) and body contact (one point). This is a total of four activation points, resulting in a classification of a Level One offence, drawing 80 demerit points. He has a bad record of 60 demerit points carried over within the last 12 months, increasing the penalty to 140 points and a one-match sanction. An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 105 points and a one-match sanction.''

Other clubs

Jarrad Waite, Carlton, was pinged for staging: receiving a reprimand for his First Offence for Misconduct Staging (reprimand) during the third quarter of the Round Two match between Carlton and Richmond, at the MCG.

Jake King, Richmond, received a $900 sanction with an early plea for misconduct in that he made unnecessary contact with Jarrad Waite, Carlton, during the third quarter of the Round Two match between Richmond and Carlton, at the MCG.

Callan Ward, Greater Western Sydney, has been charged with a First Offence for Making Reckless Contact with an Umpire ($2600 sanction) for making reckless contact with umpire Robert Findlay during the second quarter of the Round Two match between Greater Western Sydney and St Kilda, at Etihad Stadium.

He received a $1950 sanction with an early plea.

Richard Douglas, Adelaide, has been charged with a First Offence for Making Negligent Contact with an Umpire ($1200 sanction) for making negligent contact with umpire Justin Schmitt during the second quarter of the Round Two match between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, at Adelaide Oval. He received a $900 sanction with an early plea.

Tom Derickx, Sydney Swans, has been charged with a Level One Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence (125 demerit points, one-match sanction) for engaging in rough conduct against Scott Pendlebury, Collingwood, during the second quarter of the Round Two match at ANZ Stadium.
An early plea reduces the sanction by 25 per cent to 93.75 points and a reprimand.

Taylor Hunt, Geelong, received a one-match ban for Level Two Engaging in Rough Conduct Offence (225 demerit points, two-match sanction) for engaging in rough conduct against Daniel Rich, Brisbane Lions, during the third quarter of the match between the Geelong Cats and the Brisbane Lions, at the Gabba.

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Aust wins whaling case against Japan

The UN's top court has ruled that Japan's whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean is not a scientific program.

UN ruling ... Japan's whaling hunt in the Southern Ocean is not a scientific program. Source: AFP

AUSTRALIA has won an international lawsuit against Japan's Southern Ocean whaling program and the International Court of Justice has ordered Tokyo to cease the killing immediately.

Presiding Judge Peter Tomka of Slovakia said Japan had not justified the large number of minke whales it takes under its program, while failing to meet much smaller targets for fin and humpback whales.

Japan has said it will abide by the decision, but it does not necessarily mean a permananet end to whaling.

The United Nation's court ordered a halt to the issuing of whaling permits until the program has been revamped.

The ICJ, by 12 votes to four, said Japan had not acted in compliance with its obligations under the international whaling convention.

Four years ago former environment minister Peter Garrett helped launch legal action against Japan in the International Court of Justice to try and put a stop to its controversial Antarctic whaling program.

It was the first time any country had used an international court to try to stop whaling.

Mr Garrett said he felt vindicated by the decision Labor made in 2010 to pursue the case against so-called "scientific whaling'' in The Hague.

"I'm absolutely over the moon, for all those people who wanted to see the charade of scientific whaling cease once and for all,'' the former Midnight Oil singer told ABC Radio this evening.

Ruthless ... Greenpeace ship MY Esperanza witness the killing of whales in the Southern Ocean by the Yushin Maru and the Kyo Maru No1 ships of the Japanese whaling fleet in 2005. Source: News Limited

"I think (this) means without any shadow of a doubt that we won't see the taking of whales in the Southern Ocean in the name of science."

He wasn't the only one celebrating the outcome, with many taking to Twitter to share the news and pay tribute to the anti-whaling activist group Sea Shepherd.

Sea Shepherd Australia chairman and former Australian Greens leader Bob Brown congratulated the captain of the fleet that made its name in daring clashes with Japanese whalers in Antarctica.

"A whale of a win! Paul Watson is a global hero and Australians can all feel proud. Sea Shepherd Australia chairman,'' Mr Brown posted.

Current Greens leader Christine Milne also paid tribute to the "champions" at Sea Shepherd, calling the ICJ verdict "justice at last".

Australia had asked the court to ban Japan's annual hunt on the basis it was not "for purposes of scientific research'' as allowed under Article 8 of the 1946 International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling.

Canberra argued Tokyo was cloaking a commercial whaling operation "in the labcoat of science'' despite agreeing to a 1980s ban on harpooning.

Japan, however, countered during a three-week hearing in mid-2013 that the ICJ didn't have the authority to decide what was, or wasn't, science.

It insisted lethal research was both lawful and necessary.

But in UN court last dismissed Tokyo's argument.

The court didn't accept Australia's argument that "scientific research'' needed to have defined and achievable objectives, use appropriate methods, be properly peer reviewed, and avoid adverse events on the stocks being studied.

Annual hunt ... the Nisshin Maru, the factory ship of Japanese whaling fleet, exits the ice floes in the Southern Ocean, in 2011. Picture courtesy of Shepherd Conservation Society, Barbara Veiga. Source: AP

Instead it focused on whether Tokyo's program was "for purposes of'' scientific research, however that was defined.

Judge Tomka said the key was whether "the elements of the program's design and implementation are reasonable in relation to its stated scientific objectives''.

Killing whales could be science and wasn't "unreasonable per se'', Judge Tomka said.

Furthermore, the fact whale meat was sold afterwards to fund future hunts did not, on its own, mean the program was illegal.

But the court found there could be a greater reliance on non-lethal methods.

The court president said Tokyo should have analysed the feasibility of non-lethal methods when setting the quota size for taking whales.

"There is no evidence that Japan has examined whether it would be feasible to combine a smaller lethal take, in particular of minke whales, and an increase in non-lethal sampling as a means to achieve ... research objectives,'' he said.

Tokyo was criticised for doubling its target to 850 minke whales each year after 2005 without first assessing the research effectiveness of its earlier program, which had a much smaller sample size.

Japan hunts around a thousand mostly minke whales annually in the icy waters of the Southern Ocean.

Australia and environmental groups say the hunt serves no scientific purpose and is just a way for Japan to get around the moratorium on commercial whaling imposed by the International Whaling Commission in 1986.

Although the popularity of whale meat is declining in Japan, it is considered a delicacy by some, and meat from the hunt is sold commercially.

Japan has said it will abide by the ruling of the court, known as the World Court, which is the United Nations' court for disputes between countries.

At the start of last night's judgment hearing, Judge Tomka said that "research objectives alone must be sufficient to justify the program''.

###

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Ship in race to find MH370’s black box

A black box locator is about to be sent out on an Australian navy ship in search of the missing MH370 plane.

THE Australian Navy ship given the job of finding the black box recorder of Malaysia Airlines flight 370 is preparing to leave Perth with still no clue as to the missing plane's whereabouts.

But it could potentially have a longer window to track down the black box in the vast expanses of the Indian Ocean than had been feared.

The Ocean Shield, which leaves Perth tomorrow on an initial 30-day mission, has been fitted with US Navy equipment designed to electronically hunt for the box, including a towed pinger locator and unmanned underwater drone.

■ ROLLING COVERAGE: Search continues for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370

With the ship not likely to reach the search zone west of Perth for several days, it had been feared the 30-day life of the satellite ``pinger'' within the black box could expire before the equipment arrived.

But Captain Mark Matthews, the US Navy supervisor of salvage and diving, revealed today that while the pinger is certified for 30 days, it could last for up to another 15 days.

The Australian Navy ship Ocean Shield, at Stirling Naval Base today, is set to leave Perth tomorrow to join the hunt for MH370.Picture: Bohdan Warchomij

That gives authorities more precious time to find the box, which should provide crucial clues as to the fate of MH370 and its 239 passengers and crew.

``These are rated to last 30 days, but that is a minimum. In my experience they do last a little bit longer than that,'' Capt Matthews said.

``I would say 45 days is the realistic limited expectation.''

The towed pinger locater on the Ocean Shield has a range of 1.6km and depth capability up to 6000m, with the search set to be conducted at a speed of just 5km/h.

An unmanned underwater drone will also be on board, ready to dive once the pinger locater has found a signal to map the sea floor and photograph potential debris there.

US Captain Mark Matthews in change of the pinger device at Stirling Naval Base. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij

As 10 planes and eight ships descended on the search zone on Sunday, there was still no confirmation of any debris from MH370 being found.

Captain Matthews said without solid proof of the crash, they would not be able to begin to search for the black box.

``We don't have a defined search area yet. We have our challenges in front of us,'' he said.

In the meantime, the crew, along with Australian and Chinese ships, would join the surface search for debris.

Also on Sunday, Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced former Defence Force chief Angus Houston would lead a new joint agency co-ordination centre in Perth that would communicate with all international search partners and the families of those on the missing plane.

US Captain Mark Matthews who is in change of the pinger device at Stirling Naval Base where the Ocean Shield is being prepared to leave to search for MH370's black box. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij

``Should our responsibilities increase as time goes by, there is no one better placed than Angus to co-ordinate and liaise given the quite significant number of countries that all have a stake in this search,'' Mr Abbott said.

Australian Navy Commodore Peter Leavy said the aim was still to locate debris and confirm it was from flight 370, then to work backwards to a possible crash site.

Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Ray Griggs said the best people in the field were now involved in the search.

``It is a significant co-ordination challenge which is proceeding extremely well. These are an exceptionally talented group of people,'' Admiral Griggs said.peOcean Shield will leave the naval base at Garden Island south of Perth with enough supplies for 45 days before having to return to shore.

Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 after veering sharply off course while heading from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The black box pinger that those aboard the Ocean Shield are hoping will lead them to the wreckage of MH370. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij

'SEARCH ZONE THE SIZE OF VICTORIA'

Recovering Flight MH370 debris from a search area the size of Victoria is "critical" to finding the black box flight recorder before its locator ping fades away, the officer in charge of the sea and air mission said.

Commodore Peter Leavy, commander of Joint Task Force 658, said the black box's beacon locator – which emits a high frequency ping noise every second – is certified to last another nine days.

Ocean Shield Captain Nicholas Woods at Stirling Naval Base. Picture: Bohdan Warchomij

It's hoped the battery may last "a little while longer" than April 7 — next Monday — but search crews are in a race against clock before the beacon runs flat and its signal stops.

Commodore Leavy said finding the black box, which records flight data and voices in the cockpit, was crucial to helping air crash investigators determine what caused the Malaysia Airlines aircraft to veer off course and crash in the southern Indian Ocean.

"In the circumstances that we are facing here, if the black box is recovered and the data is salvageable, I think that will be a very, very important part of the analysis of the subsequent investigation," he said.

Commodore Leavy said the "unprecedented" multinational mission was searching an area the size of the state of Victoria in "extreme" ocean conditions.

He said it was "critical" debris from the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight was confirmed to help investigators pinpoint where the jet crashed.

Commodore Peter Leavy, commander of the Joint Task Force 658, said the black box's beacon locator is certified to last another nine days. Picture: Stewart Allen

Only when a location is identified, using modelling to estimate how far the debris drifted, can a US Navy device designed to find black boxes be effective.

Australian Defence patrol vessel Ocean Shield docked last night at HMAS Stirling naval base on Garden Island, south of Perth, to join the search.

It was today fitted with a Towed Ping Locator and Bluefin-21 underwater drone which uses sonar to scan the sea floor for signs of wreckage.

Ocean Shield is expected to set sail tomorrow and take two to three days to reach the search zone, 1850km west of Perth, depending on the weather.

It means the crew and air crash investigators would likely arrive at the search zone on Thursday or Friday, just three or four days before the ping is due to start fading.

Royal Australia Air Force crew at RAAF Base Pearce in Bullsbrook unload an Australian Sea Hawk helicopter to join a Royal Australian Navy ship to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, on March 28, 2014. Picture: AFP

The pinger locator, which has a reach of about 2km, is towed underwater at a "very slow" two to three knots (5kmp/h) and covers less than 150 square kilometres a day.

"The critical focus at this juncture is to find debris and as much of it as we can. If it is confirmed to be from the aircraft that will enable a much greater refinement of the impact point," Commodore Leavy said.

"Having as accurate a start point as we can for our pinger search is critical."

HMAS Toowoomba yesterday reloaded at Garden Island after it was retasked to the MH370 search from Operation Sovereign Border duties in Darwin.

Five specialist divers, as well as a Sea Hawk helicopter, joined the frigate's 180-strong crew to search for floating debris. HMAS Toowoomba should reach the search zone tomorrow.

Warship HMAS Toowoomba docking at Garden Island before joining search for MH370 debris. Picture: Stewart Allen Source: News Limited

Christopher Johnson, of the US Naval Sea Systems Command, confirmed the pinger locator won't be deployed until there was a higher confidence about where MH370 went down.

Dr Alec Duncan, an expert in underwater acoustics at Curtin University, added: "They've got to find stuff on the surface first – until they do that there's really no point trying to look underwater."

Dr Duncan said they would need to get as close as possible to the beacon to limit other background noises, such as whales, masking the ping.

"The ocean's actually a very noisy place," he said. "It depends largely on weather conditions as to how much background noise there is. The calmer it is, the less there will be."

Dr Duncan said if the aircraft fuselage remains intact on the sea floor then other sonar systems, such as the Bluefin-21, could be more effective as they have a greater range.

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Get used to it, congestion here to stay

New Transport Minister Dean Nalder says West Australians need to get used to gridlock in the Perth CBD Source: News Limited

NEW Transport Minister Dean Nalder says West Australians need to get used to crawling traffic in the Perth CBD because it's going to be there for "a long period of time".

Mr Nalder said there were limits to what the State Government could do to combat traffic congestion.

"I've actually lived in other cities in Australia, particularly Sydney, where I have experienced the level of congestion that exists there, so it is not a phenomenon that is just for Western Australia," he told The Sunday Times.

"We're not used to it. Whereas if you travel to Sydney, people are used to it so they do prepare and plan."

Mr Nalder, who was sworn in as Transport and Finance Minister earlier this month following the resignation of Troy Buswell, said it could take Sydney residents up to two hours to cross the CBD.

News Perth City congestion . Traffic at the on the Freeways at 5:26pm

"We'll do our bit, but there are limitations to what any government can do," he said.

"You can't keep doubling the size of the freeway."

In January, the Government launched a smart phone app to help motorists to avoid traffic hot spots. Mr Nalder said the Right Move Perth app would be expanded soon to also help drivers easily find vacant car parks across the city.

"A lot of people get caught up on the big projects – and they're exciting and they're important – but we need to look at a multiple number of levels with regard to transport solutions," he said.

"One of the problems people have at the moment is you go into (the city) and you start looking for a car park and you travel around everywhere.

"We'd love to see data fed in that allows people to quickly see on Right Move where parking spots are available."

Mr Nalder also called on drivers to do their bit to ease congestion by planning their journeys better. "At the end of the day, government has a role to play but it's a lot broader than that," he said.

"Government is a reflection of the community so we need the community to take some responsibility.

"We have a population that's heading towards 3.5 million over the next 30-40 years and if you travel the world and you get to cities with 3.5 million to 4 million people they have congestion."

The Opposition's transport spokesman Ken Travers said a fast, reliable public transport was needed to ease Perth's traffic congestion.

"That's the bit that the (Barnett Government) don't get and that's the bit that they're not doing," he said.

"What this Government has continually failed to do is understand how to meet the demand.

"We've seen overcrowding on trains because they failed to order the trains that they should have and then they have just completely failed to expand the system.

"You can't tell people to toughen up if you're not providing them with an alternative.

"You can't say we're an international city unless you're providing the infrastructure that an international city would have."

The Western Australian Bicycle Network Plan, which will see $47 million spent on cycling infrastructure over the next four years, was released by the Government yesterday.

Mr Nalder said a central focus of the plan was the building of shared footpaths.

Department of Transport's Right Move Perth app. www.transport.wa.gov.au Source: Supplied

Traffic app shows best way

THE WA Government wants drivers to use a new traffic app to plan their journey and avoid congestion.

The free Right Move Perth smartphone app alerts drivers to any traffic incidents.

It can access information on road works, crashes, traffic signal faults, train and bus service disruptions, major events and weather warnings.

It draws information from agencies including Main Roads WA, the Public Transport Authority and the Bureau of Meteorology and links to Google Maps.

Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the app would allow drivers to plan their route in advance.

"It's easy to use," he said.

www.rightmoveperth.wa.gov.au

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MH370: families demand evidence

Authorities say that objects scooped out of the ocean off WA are not part of missing flight MH370.

Searchers are hopeful a cluster of white objects, spotted off Perth, are parts of missing airliner MH370.

Search target ... an object floats in the southern Indian Ocean in this picture taken from a Royal New Zealand Air Force P-3K2 Orion aircraft. Picture: Jason Reed-Pool Source: Getty Images

"We want evidence, we want the truth, we want our family back" angry Chinese relatives chanted at an impromptu protest in Kuala Lumpur today.

They unfurled red and white banners in protest at what they claim is a lack of transparency and

the truth in the search for MH370.

"Hand us the murderer. Tell us the truth. Give us our relatives back," one banner said.

"You must return relatives of MH370. No strings attached."

The banners were in English and in Mandarin.

The group of about 30 Chinese relatives of those on board MH370 arrived in Kuala Lumpur early on Sunday after flying from Beijing to demand answers about the fate of their loved ones.

The group's spokesman, who gave his name as Mr Kong, said the briefings in Beijing provided by government officials were insufficient and they wanted to meet with Malaysian Government

officials, Boeing, the airline and the satellite company.

They also want an apology from the Malaysian Government for saying that the plane had crashed in the southern Indian Ocean without proof, saying this was irresponsible.

"The announcement that the plane crashed into the southern Indian Ocean was just based on

speculation," Mr Kong said.

The relatives of Chinese family members were heartbroken, he said.

"Our aim is to find the truth. We want evidence, we want the truth ... we want to express the

feelings of our families. We hope here the Malaysian side can give us comprehensive data and

answer our questions," Mr Kong said.

"We hope in these few days we will be able to meet together with the technical team, MAS and the Malaysian Government."

They said they intend employing lawyers to further their aims.

'We want evidence, we want the truth, we want our families back' ... a Chinese relative of a passenger attends a briefing at a hotel in Subang Jaya Source: AFP

FIRST PRIORITY IS FINDING WRECKAGE

Malaysian Airlines says is it will fly the family of MH370 passengers to Perth only after official

confirmation that physical wreckage of the plane has been found.

At this time an assistance centre will be set up in Perth.

Malaysian Airlines CEO Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said if the plane wreckage is found, family members will be taken to the site in Perth where the debris will be kept.

"The FAC will become the focal point for all activities that have been planned for the families

including briefings, religious and prayer services," Mr Yahya said late yesterday.

"Malaysia Airlines is fully committed to supporting all efforts by the relevant foreign Governments who continue to search for and recover the aircraft and it continues to co-operate with all authorities involved in the investigation."

Not from the plane ... objects scooped out of the Indian Ocean were not from MH370. Picture: Jason Reed-Pool Source: Getty Images

OBJECTS WERE NOT FROM PLANE

The demonstration of anger came after it was revealed that objects scooped out of the ocean off Western Australia were not part of Flight 370.

Chinese ship Haixun 01 and Australia's HMAS Success reportedly retrieved a number of objects from the ocean but so far none have been confirmed to be related to MH370, a statement issued by Australia maritime rescue officials said.

The objects are more likely fishing objects or rubbish, AMSA said early this morning.

Meanwhile former Defence force chief Angus Houston has been named to co-ordinate the international search effort for the plane carrying 239 passengers and crew, which disappeared more than three weeks ago.

Retired Air Chief Marshal Houston will lead a new joint agency co-ordination centre in Perth.

The search for debris from the doomed flight shifted north on Friday after new analysis of satellite data.

Flight 370 disappeared on March 8 after veering sharply off course while heading from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew aboard.

AMSA says weather in the search area is forecast to worsen on Sunday with light showers and low cloud.

Emergency mission ... one of the Australian RAAF P3 Orions. Picture: Paul Kane Source: Getty Images

PLANE DIVERTED FROM SEARCH

An Australian air force plane has been diverted from the search to respond to a fishing boat's emergency distress beacon near Antarctica.

The P3 Orion was on Sunday afternoon sent from the Indian Ocean search zone to look for a fishing boat in trouble about 3240km southwest of Perth and 650km north of the Antarctic mainland, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

"The rescue coordination centre was unable to establish communications with the vessel and the nature of distress is unknown,'' AMSA added.

Authorities sent the P3 as it is capable of dropping survival equipment.

"A broadcast to shipping has been issued, however due to the remoteness of the location it is unlikely that any other ships will be near the area,'' AMSA said.

"The weather forecast for the area is extremely poor with low cloud, rain, snow and a water temperature of 2 degrees Celsius.''

The beacon is registered to a fishing vessel, but no details of the nationality, crew or size of the vessel have been released.

To replace the Orion in the search for MH370 a civilian jet has been dispatched from Melbourne.

That jet is expected to take five hours to travel nearly 4000km to the search zone, where it can fly for a further two hours before having to turn back.

A message for the authorities ... newly arrived Chinese relatives of passengers on board MH370 arrive in Malaysia. Picture: Aaron Favila Source: AP

HOPES REMAIN HIGH

The search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 has launched with renewed vigour this morning after the promising sightings yesterday.

China's state news agency Xinhua reported yesterday that a Chinese military plane, Ilyushin IL-76, had spotted three floating objects of white, red and orange colours respectively, from an altitude of 300 metres.

The Chinese search vessel recovered the debris overnight and determined them to have not been from the missing aircraft.

RELATED: Race to locate MH370 is search area 'size of Victoria'

AMSA this morning announced search operations were still scheduled to take place despite a worsening of the weather. Light showers and low cloud are expected to intensify during the day.

The air and sea operation will once again focus on the new zearch zone, a space of some 319,000sq km situated about 1850km west of Perth.

Meanwhile, three RAAF Orion aircraft along with Japanese and Korean Orions, a US Navy P-8 Poseideon, a Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 and two Malaysian C130 Hercules are expected to take part in the search. One civilian jet will act as a communications relay.

HMAS Success and three Chinese search vessels arrived in the area yesterday. Six more ships are expected to arrive today.

Speculation dashed ... Captain Zaharia's flight simulator 'contained nothing sinister'. Source: Supplied

SIMULATOR SPECULATION 'FALSE'

Police and the FBI have found "nothing sinister" on the MH370 pilot's homemade flight simulator, Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister said.

Hishammuddin Hussein said the Malaysian police had been working with the FBI since day one on analysing the data on the simulator, which pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah built himself and which was taken from his home in the wake of the plane's disappearance.

Malaysian authorities say the simulator had been reassembled at police headquarters before being examined. Police have said that the simulator logs were deleted in February and the hard drive was sent to the FBI for further analysis about what was deleted.

"As far as I know there is nothing sinister on the simulator but of course that will have to be confirmed by the chief of police," Mr Hussein said at a briefing after meeting family members of the plane's passenger in Kuala Lumpur.

Speculation had been rife about Captain Zaharie and the simulator's contents.

Mr Hussein said Malaysian police, along with international agencies, were continuing to investigate all aspects of the Boeing 777-200, which went missing along with its crew and 239 passengers on March 8 on a scheduled flight to Beijing.

Hardest part ... Malaysia's Defence and acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, centre, comforts a relative. Picture: AP Source: AP

VOW TO CONTINUE SEARCH

The Malaysian minister vowed to continue the search for "possible survivors".

"No matter how remote the odds, we will pray, hope against hope, and continue to search for possible survivors,'' Mr Hussein said after meeting with relatives of Malaysian passengers and crew.

The hardest part was seeing the hope in their eyes, he said.

"Miracles do happen, remote or otherwise," said Mr Hussein.

His comments came as the search for the plane shifted north to a new search zone 1800km west of Perth.

RELATED: How the MH370 saga will impact on Malaysia

The new zone's shallower and more temperate waters has given searchers their best hope yet of locating the Malaysian Airlines black box before its batteries expire in nine days.

Australian prime minister Tony Abbott sounded a note of caution.

"We should not underestimate the difficulty of this work, it is an extraordinarily remote location," Abbott said yesterday.

An Australian Navy frigate, HMAS Toowoomba, has been dispatched carrying one of the navy's newest helicopters. It is expected to arrive in the search area within the next three days.

Another Australian navy ship, the Ocean Shield, was originally due to leave Perth on Sunday to join the search but will now leave on Monday. It will be carrying a US Navy 'sea drone' intended to find the missing aircraft's 'black box' flight recorders.

SEARCH ZONE: The perils of the Indian Ocean

New search zone ... A pilot on the flight deck of a Royal New Zealand air force P-3K2 Orion aircraft searching for the missing plane. Picture: Jason Reed/AP Source: AP

NEW HOPE TO RECOVER WRECKAGE

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority reported yesterday that the Chinese patrol Haixun 01 would be in a position to begin hauling objects, which might be wreckage, onto its decks by late yesterday.

Early this morning the objects were deemed to be simply trash and unrelated to the missing airliner.

Investigators are no longer convinced that satellite images that were thought to depict a "debris field" of 122 objects close to the original search area, 2500km southwest of Perth, were bits of floating metal or bits of plane fuselage. They also did not regard as credible reports that a Thai satellite had spied a separate debris field of some 300 objects.

A silence has now fallen over the reasons why the plane went so far off course. The numerous theories ranging from hijack to pilot suicide to rapid depressurisation have been talked over so thoroughly that now nothing less than a decisive reason will now suffice.

Daunting task. The southern Indian Ocean seen from the deck of a military jet. Picture: Jason Reed/AFP Source: AFP

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Police investigate body on highway

Police are probing the mysterious death of a man whose body was found in the middle of a highway in the Great Southern. Source: News Limited

POLICE are probing the mysterious death of a man whose body was found on a highway in the Great Southern.

A German backpacker was reportedly the one to discover the body near Newdegate, about 400km southeast of Perth, at about 6am this morning and call triple zero.

The body was on the Newdegate-Ravensthorpe Road, with Major Crash Squad and forensic officers at the scene all day.

Ten News reported the man could have been hit by a truck.

Senior Constable Tim Hughes said: "It's quite a difficult scene for us to work today and we just encourage people to take care on the roads."

"There'll be a certain amount of measurements and forensic investigation done at the scene today and that will hopefully help us establish a cause of the death."

It was reported the victim was a 49-year-old man from Newdegate, who had been in WA for several years.

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Perth memorial for MH370’s lost souls

A cross and wreath in memory of those on board the lost Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 is fixed to a fence surrounding RAAF Pearce airbase in Bullsbrook, north of Perth. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

A MEMORIAL for the passengers and crew of Flight MH370 is being planned in Perth ahead of the arrival of family members.

It's understood a book of condolence in which people can leave messages could form part of a memorial at Perth International Airport.

The airport confirmed it was in talks with the Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPC) and the Commonwealth about cultural protocols.

A cross and wreath in memory of MH370 passengers and crew was earlier this week placed on the fence at Royal Australian Air Force's Pearce Air Base in Bullsbrook, north of Perth.

Malaysia Airlines has previously said it would transport relatives to Perth once parts of the plane are found.

High-level discussions are continuing between state and federal governments about logistics should debris from MH370 be confirmed.

The DPC, which is supporting the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, has put a number WA agencies on standby.

A Department of Health spokesman said it would provide services if called upon by the Federal Government.

The State Emergency Management Committee, WA's peak emergency management body, is not involved at this stage, its secretariat confirmed.

Asked if inquests could be held in Perth into the deaths of MH370 passengers and crew, a spokeswoman for the Coroner's Court said: "Until the State Coroner has jurisdiction, there will be no comment."

On Thursday, the Chinese Consulate-General in Perth held a briefing for leaders of the city's Chinese community.

Sammy Yap, president of the Chung-Wah Association, said people from all backgrounds, not just Chinese, were volunteering to help.

"We hope to get called on to help. We do have quite a few people from the public ready to volunteer, that's been heartwarming," he said.

"Many of (the passengers' relatives) will not have been to Australia before.

"We will do anything we can to make their stay in Perth more comfortable and to enable them to grieve properly."

On Sunday, the 239 people on-board the Malaysia Airlines jet will be remembered at a service at the Fo Guang Shan Temple in Maylands.

The Buddha's Light International Association of WA is holding its annual prayer service Qing Ming Dharma, which commemorates deceased relatives.

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Tears for Tauri: Four teens guilty

Tauri Litchfield, who was fatally attacked in Mandurah. Source: News Corp Australia

FOUR teenagers have been found guilty of manslaughter – but cleared of murder – of Mandurah sailmaker Tauri Litchfield, who was fatally attacked.

A fifth teenager, who is now 15, was cleared of all charges and released after 12 months in custody.

All five boys, now aged 15 to 16, were cleared of the more serious charge of murdering Mr Litchfield, who was found with fatal head injuries at Mandurah on St Patrick's Day last year.

In handing down his decision, Children's Court President Judge Denis Reynolds said he considered each of the accused's role on the day and while he thought the actions in relation to four was "threatening" and "intimidating behaviour" he did not think it constituted murder.

Speaking outside court, Mr Litchfield's sister Kirra said while they were satisfied with the decision, no verdict could have given their family the outcome they truly wanted which was to have Tauri back.

She said the past year had been difficult and, at times, unbearable, adding they wished the entire event had never happened.

Tauri Litchfield's girlfriend Lisa Emes, sister Kirra Litchfield and father Clive Litchfield outside court after the verdict. Picture: Justin Benson-Cooper

But she said they were not shocked by Judge Reynold's decision, saying the prosecution had kept them informed through the entire trial process and that they knew towards the end that it was likely none of the teens would have been found guilty of murder.

Mr Litchfield's father Clive, who at times struggled to hold back tears, said he had been expecting the verdict, and was pleased that four of the accused were found guilty of manslaughter.

He also said that he wanted to thank the people who tried to help his son the night he died, saying he would be forever grateful.

He said that at times he felt like his son was on trial but was vindicated in the end.

Each family member marked the anniversary of his death at the beach and said they wanted Mr Litchfield to be remembered for his smile, big heart and adventurous personality.

Four teens have been found guilty of the manslaughter of Tauri Litchfield, 28.

The teenagers, who all pleaded not guilty, were accused of chasing the 28-year-old to his death, on March 17 last year.

They were also accused of "herding" him as he tried to flee after he was punched and kicked in the face after slapping one of the teens who tried to pick his pocket.

Mr Litchfield tripped or fell over a ledge then hit his head on bitumen, suffering fatal injuries.

He was later found unconscious by passers-by in a car park on Pinjarra Road. He was taken to hospital, but died a short time later from severe head injuries.

The case against a sixth boy was dropped earlier in the trial.

Judge Reynolds said Mr Litchfield was trying to flee from the group when he tripped over the wall at the Taubman's carpark on Pinjarra Road on St Patrick's Day last year.

"I am satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that Mr Litchfield's level of fear for his own safety and wellbeing would have been extreme,'' he said.

``It would have caused him to continue to run as fast as he could and to go over the wall to try and escape.''

Judge Reynolds said each of the four defendants chased Mr Litchfield for the purpose of further asssaulting him.

"Indeed the chase, in the context of what happened before, is an assault itself, given the definition of assault,'' the Judge said.

"While there as a pickpocketing earlier on, my view of the evidence, the phone falling out of Mr Litchfield's pocket and being picked up by of one the accused was opportunistic . . . an ongoing unlawful purpose of assault," he said.

"For all those reasons in the case of each defendant I am not satisfied beyond reasonable doubt that the unlawful killing was murder."

Despite suggestions during the trial that the victim had been agitated after celebrating St Patrick's Day with friends, Judge Reynolds said there was nothing to suggest Mr Litchfield was ``unduly aggressive or hostile'' from alcohol or cannabis consumption.

In finding the teens guilty of manslaughter, Judge Reynolds said he could also have found them guilty of doing an unlawful act causing death, but concluded their actions amounted to manslaughter.

The four teens, who are in custody, have been remanded for sentencing on April 24.

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