#PrayForMH370 Live Updates: Search area widened after French satellite images

UPDATE [8.50AM, 24 March 2014]: Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said in an interview with ABC Radio that the new lead in the widened hunt for MH370 was promising, but cautioned that the search in the remote icy southern Indian Ocean remained difficult.  Story here.

Search teams scouring the remote Southern India Ocean for MH370 have been hampered by low visibility as cloud and fog descended over parts of the area, The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) reported. An Australian Air Force Lieutenant told the Australian daily that heavy cloud reduced his crew's ability, which he said was 'completely' engulfed in cloud at times, even at its lowest altitude. More here.

UPDATE [6.00pm, 23 March 2014]:

There was no press conference today. The Ministry of Transport merely released an official statement. You can read it in full HERE.

Other news of some note for today:

Malaysia says French satellites spot possible MH370 debris in search area

Australia PM hopeful after China spots possible Malaysia plane debris

Pallet, belts spotted in Indian Ocean hunt for MH370

Speculations about missing MH370 help investigations, says top cop

Aussie film bears uncanny resemblance to MH370’s disappearance, admits director

Object spotted by Chinese satellite might be Boeing-777 wing, says expert

UPDATE (6.24pm, 22 March 2014): highlights from today's press conference:

- 26 countries now involved in the search for MH370, the biggest huntin history.

- Countries involved in the Northern Search Corridor have not reportedany possible sightings of MH370 on their radars.

- The search in the next quadrant in the Southern Corridor covers10,500 sq nautical miles, involving 6 planes and 2 ships. SAR ops in the SouthernCorridor will be led by Indonesia and Australia. Cylcone has been detectednearby and search ships may be sailing into the storm.

- Briefings to families: Malaysian briefings went well, but there weretensions in the Beijing briefing. Related stories here and here.

- Transcripts of the communication between MH370 and air control cannotbe released yet due to on-going investigations, but the DCA D-G says there isno abnormality. Referring to the Daily Telegraph¹s release of the alleged transcript,the D-G says that it was ³not accurate². Related story here.

- Cargo manifest has been investigated and findings will be releasedshortly. MAS CEO confirms that there are no suspicious items and everything complieswith international aviation standards. Cargo of Li-Ion batteries had beenpacked and handled according to regulations. Story here.

- Report by a sighting by a woman returning from Mecca: ActingTransport Minister says it will be investigated in due time, but focus now isto probe the most credible leads. Currently that is the Aussie sightings.

- To a question why MAS did not subscribe to more tracking serviceseven though it did only cost about USD10 extra per plane, the MAS CEO says thatcurrent tracking capabilities are sufficient and the additional services wouldnot have made a difference in the case of MH370.

- Hishamuddin revealed that Malaysian submarines did not have active orpassive sonar capabilities, and neither do any of the ships in the Royal MalaysianNavy

- PC ended abruptly when Hishamuddin received a notice saying the Chineseambassador has informed him that satellite images detected a large objectwithin the Southern Corridor measuring 22m x 30m. Story here.

FULL STATEMENT HERE.

UPDATE [6.24pm, 21 March 2014]: Highlights from today¹s press conference:

- Acting Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein to speak to US Secretary of Defence tonight to request use of remotely-operated vehicles for possibility of deep ocean salvage.
- No information yet from Australians on the object spotted in Indian Ocean. Search and rescue to continue in southern and northern corridor and will be Œlong-haul¹. Hishammuddin Hussein says the Œmost sophisticated¹ planes are being deployed.
- Information on the pilot¹s simulator has been sent to international authorities to verify.
- China, Japan and UK have deployed assets. UK has offered specialist search and investigative help to be given once more information comes in.
- Kazakhstan has not seen any sign of MH370. Malaysia is waiting for permission for Kazakhstan to be used as a Œstaging point¹ for search operations.
- Background checks on Ukrainian passengers clear. International intelligence confirms there is nothing unusual in passenger manifest.
- MAS says small batteries were on cargo, but packaged and stored according to international aviation guidelines. Batteries not listed as  Œdangerous goods¹ by the International Civil Aviation Organisation.
- Last night¹s briefing in KL to update family members was well attended by all relatives. Constructive and frank discussion, but not all questions were answered.
- Families in Beijing met with high-level Malaysian government team for three hours.

Full statement here.

UPDATE [5.30pm]: Australian radars have failed to pick up any sign of the missing plane and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (ASMA) is now replanning a 'visual search' with skilled observers. Full story.

UPDATE [1.23pm]: Three Chinese warships and an icebreaker wil join the search for possible pieces of the missing plane in the southern Indian Ocean. Full report.

UPDATE [11.41am]: Australia resumes search for possible wreckage from the missing Malaysian jetliner in a remote, storm-swept stretch of the Indian Ocean. Story here.

- The Wall Street Journal reported that finding flight MH370 could take months even if the debris shown in satellite images in the southern Indian Ocean is part of the missing plane.  Full story here.

UPDATE [Thurs 20 Mar]:
The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has not found any debris yet, due to rain and clouds limiting visibility in the search area. Read in full.

Salient points from the 5.30pm press conference, headed by acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein:

- The sightings of the two objects possibly related to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean, while credible, is not confirmed, said acting Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein.
- Hishammuddin insists that there have been no reluctance from Australian authorities in helping search operations. Operations will continue overnight to verify objects spotted in Indian Ocean.
- On whether it could take years to conclude, Hishammuddin said that if the debris is confirmed to be that of MH370, then comparisons will be made to Air France crash - which took two years - because conditions of Indian Ocean similar to that of the Atlantic Ocean.
- MAS chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya regrets the handling of family members yesterday. Says Chinese families have been given updates two to three times a day, the same update given to the press. High level team leaving to Beijing this evening.
- Representatives from Malaysian government spoke to families in KL yesterday. Chinese ambassador will lead a briefing today for Chinese families in KL. Similar briefing for other families.

Full statement here.

Commander William Marks, spokesman for the US Navy's 7th Fleet, was quoted as saying that the radar hits of ³significant size² - indicating something below the search area in the southern Indian Ocean - were not connected to missing flight MH370. Read in full.

The New Straits Times meanwhile, reported that the Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion aircraft has reached the search scene.

PM Najib Razak meets Malaysian Chief of Defence Force after call with Australian PM.

Largest object sighted is 24 metres, with a second, smaller object also spotted, Australian authorities said. Details.

John Young, general manager of the Australian Maritime Safety Authority said debris has been spotted on satellite imagery 2260km off the coast of Western Australia. Watch the video.

Meanwhile, minister Hishammuddin Hussein confirms 'new lead' and is meeting with Australian delegation to verify. Full story.

Two objects possibly related to MH370 have been spotted on Australian satellite imagery and an air force aircraft was diverted to the area, according to the Australian prime minister. Full story here.

Data from the multiple "handshakes" between the Inmarsat satellite and  flight MH370 could help plot the aircraft's last known location before it disappeared, The Washington Post reported. Full story here.

UPDATE [Wed 19 Mar]:
Highlights from today¹s press conference:
- Data log deleted from the pilot¹s flight simulator on Feb 3, forensic work is being done to retrieve data. All remain innocent until proven guilty.
- All 26 countries have verbally agreed to assist operation. Malaysia has written to all formally.
- Confirmed received radar data from other countries but cannot reveal as it is Œsensitive¹.
- In Maldives sightings, Malaysia¹s Chief of Defence Forces has contacted counterpart in Maldives. Sightings confirmed untrue.
- No additional waypoint on MH370¹s flight plan. Normal route to Beijing.
- All passengers, crew and ground staff being investigated.
- High-level team to go to Beijing to brief family on search and rescue. Team includes representatives from PM¹s Office, Foreign Affairs Ministry, DCA and MAS.

Full statement here.

Thai radar picked up an "unknown aircraft" minutes after flight MH370 last transmitted its location but officials failed to report the findings earlier. Full story here.

Why didn't the passengers of MH370 try to use their cellphones to contact someone on the ground? Full story here.

A former pilot suggested that there may have been a fire on board, the smoke from which would have short-circuited the electronics (including the transponder) and caused the pilots to pass out.  Full story here.

Another Australian pilot and aviation expert offers insights into another possible explanation, where the plane may have undergone decompression due to an explosion on board, causing the pilots to lose consciousness before completing the redirection of the autopilot. Full story here.

UPDATE [Tues 18 Mar]:
Highlights from today's press conference:

- MAS says aircraft transponder switched off at 1.21am
- Search area is now a massive 2.2 mil square nautical miles (7.5mil sq km, about the size of Australia), all countries requested to relook radar and satellite data to narrow search area. Full report.
- Minister Hishamuddin Hussein confirmed that primary radar data from other countries shared but did not mention which countries.
- Malaysian military radar to be upgraded later because "interest of the passengers and plane has been placed above national security".
- MAS says it has given sufficient information and care to all the family members in Beijing and will look into any threat of a Œhunger strike¹ among them immediately.
- Hishammuddin rejected claims that Malaysia was a Œden for terrorists¹, calling them baseless allegations.
- Foreign Minister Anifah Aman says there is no need to contact Iran, as thorough investigation (on the two Iranian passengers) has already been conducted by Malaysia.
- On whether Anwar Ibrahim will be called in for investigations (over links between him and the pilot), Hishamuddin said Œwe did not bring this up¹ and names the UK¹s Daily Mail for bringing up the issue of politics. ŒThis issue is above politics,² he said.

Full statement here.

Australia sharply reduces its search for the missing jetliner as strong currents and high seas make the task more daunting. Read it here.

Police investigations into the pilot and co-pilot of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have not turned up any red flags in their backgrounds, according to the The Wall Street Journal. Full story here.

Acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein urged China to re-evaluate its scrutiny of Chinese passengers on the passenger manifest of flight MH370. Full story here.

UPDATE [Mon 17 Mar]:
Salient points from press conference at 5.30pm:
- Last words from cockpit - ŒAlright, good night¹ is believed to be said by the co-pilot at 1.19am. Full story here.
- Last ACARS transmission at 1.07am. Next signal due 30 minutes later but did not happen. ACARS could have been switched off between this time.
- Plane was carrying three to four tonnes of mangosteen in cargo, no hazardous cargo. Full story here.
- On a news report that plane flew at 5,000 feet to avoid radar, MAS says Œit did not come from us¹.
- Pilots flew as assigned by roster, no swap.
- MAS now on Œcode tango¹ - a heightened security code that looks at all possible security shortcomings. All psychological tests on pilots will be reviewed.
- Defence and Acting Transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein denied that Malaysia was not working closely with the FBI, saying he has been working with them Œsince day one¹.
- Hishamuddin confirmed that investigations are looking at pilot psychological problems and suicide, but gave no details.

View the full statement here.

Highlights from a press statement by the Transport Ministry this afternoon:
- Malaysian navy and air force have deployed their assets to the southern corridor (Indonesia to southern Indian ocean).
- The Foreign Affairs Ministry has sent diplomatic notes to all countries along the northern and southern corridors requesting for:
  1) Radar and satellite information
  2) Land, sea and aerial search operations
  3) Search and rescue action plans for relevant countries
  4) Details of any information required from Malaysia
- Police are investigating crew and passengers of MH370 as well as all ground staff handling the aircraft; cops have re-assembled simulator taken from pilot's home.
- Countries involved in search and rescue are: Malaysia, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China, France, India, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Myanmar, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Russia, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, Turkmenistan, UAE, UK, US, Uzbekistan, and Vietnam.

Read the full statement here.

Police are investigating a flight engineer who was among the passengers on the missing MH370 plane, as they focus on the pilots and anyone else on board who had technical flying knowledge. Full story.

The last words from the cockpit of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 - "all right, good night" - were uttered after someone on board had already begun disabling one of the plane's automatic tracking systems, a senior Malaysian official was quoted as saying. Read it here.

The New Straits Times reported that the Boeing 777-200ER dropped 5,000 feet (1,500m) to evade commercial radar detection. Full report.

UPDATE [Sun 16 Mar]:
Salient points from the press conference chaired by Malaysia Acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein

- The search for MH370 has become "even more difficult", with the search area expanded to include large tracts of land across 11 countries and oceans.
- The number of countries involved has increased from 14 to 25. Full story here.
- Malaysia's Foreign Ministry has requested support from over 22 countries, including: Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, China, Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia & Australia.
- This support would be in the form of general satellite data, radar playback and provisions for ground, sea and aerial search and rescue.
- Both northern & southern corridors are being treated with equal importance.
For more on the difficulty of the search, go here.
- According to Malaysia Airlines, the pilot and co-pilot did not ask to fly together. Full story here.
- The MH370 aircraft was subjected to Boeing's mandatory maintenance program, fully serviced and fit to fly.
- Malaysia Airlines says the plane departed with its planned fuel load with nothing extra.
- The cargo manifest has also been investigated and no hazardous materials were found to be onboard.
- A flight simulator was taken from the home of MH370's pilot and is being examined by police now. More here.
- Malaysian police says not all background checks on passengers have been completed as some countries have yet to respond. Full story here.

Press statement by the Ministry of Transport here.

New York Times reports that investigators are puzzled why Malaysian military took no action over unidentified blip on their radar screens that was later said to be the missing flight MH370, Story here.

What does it take to search the open seas? Turbulence, nausea and mental strain are just a few challenges. Read what they have to go through here.

India puts on hold its search for the missing plane on Malaysian instructions, with a review of search operations with more than a dozen countries scheduled for later today in KL. Story here.

Also, friends of the main pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah say it¹s impossible he could be involved in a terrorist attempt given what they know of him. What they say about him here.

Police have searched both pilots¹ homes. Full story here.

Read the analysis on how MH370 has highlighted key gaps in air defense in general here.

Putrajaya rejected Interpol's help in finding MH370, a senior Western law enforcement official told ABC News. Full story here.

A UK tabloid speculates that the pilot of MH370 may have hijacked the plane as a political protest against Anwar's conviction. Find out what's the theory here.

The Bangkok Post reports that the Thai Navy will cease their search after Najib's media statement about ceasing search operations in the South China Sea. Full story here.

Salient points from the Prime Minister's statement given at the press conference:
1. New data shows last confirmed location was Saturday, 8 March at 8.11AM which indicate how far the plane has flown.
2. Based on new satellite communication data, we can say with a high degree of certainty that the Aircraft Communications, Addressing and Reporting System or ACARS, was disabled just before the aircraft reached the East Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
3. Shortly aftewards, near the border between Malaysia and Vietnamese air traffic control, the aircraft transponder was switched off.
4. From this point onwards, the Royal Malaysian Air Force¹s primary radar showed that an aircraft, believed to be (but not confirmed to be) MH370, did indeed turn back.
5. It then flew back over Peninsular Malaysia, before turning northwest into the Straits of Malacca, up until the point at which it left military primary radar coverage.
6. The PM also said that plane movement was consistent with "deliberate action" by someone on the plane.
7. There will be refocused investigation into the crew and passengers on board.
8. Despite news reports that investigators concluded it was a hijacking, PM Najib said "I wish to be very clear we are still investigating all possibilities as to what caused MH370 to deviate from its original flight path." Hijacking is not ruled out, however.
9. Based on the direction in which the plane flew, the plane could have headed in one of two possible corridors:
- Northern corridor: border of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan to Northern Thailand.
- Southern corridor: From Indonesia to Southern Indian Ocean.
9. Operations in the South China Sea will be ended and deployment of assets will be reassessed.
10. Malaysia Airlines is informing families of the passengers of the new developments.
11. "The search has entered a new phase... We hope this new information will bring us one step closer to finding the plane."

No question were taken, but reporters were asked to submit questions to be answered at the 5.30pm press conference. STAY TUNED!

Full transcript here .

UPDATE [Sat 15 Mar]:
A Malaysian government official involved in the investigation says investigators have concluded that one or more people with significant flying experience hijacked the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, switched off communication devices and steered it off-course. Story here.

Prime Minister Najib Razak's twitter account has announced that the PM will be making a press statement at 1:30pm.

CNN reports that classified intelligence analysis says it is likely that MH370 crashed in the bay of Bengal or the Indian ocean, and gives a highly detailed description of the plane's flight path after it disappeared. Details here.

Over 2.3 million people worldwide are searching for MH370, scanning thousands of satellite images on their PCs in a crowdsourcing effort. Story here.

***************************

From the Editor, 12am 15 March 2014:

Dear readers,

We will be ending our MH370 live updates tonight. However, we will still be giving you the latest news and updates on our Yahoo Malaysia front page, our Facebook fan site and of course, our Twitter page. We would like to thank you for sticking with us, and like you, we are praying for the safe return of the MH370 passengers and crew.

Good night, and thank you.

The Yahoo Malaysia team.

UPDATE [Fri 14 Mar]:
Malaysian investigators are increasingly certain that the missing jetliner turned back across the country after losing communications, and that someone with aviation skills was responsible for the unexplained change in course. More of this here.

Friends and family members of the co-pilot who flew the missing jet reveals that he's serious about his career, and not a reckless playboy. Story here.

India has started combing through Andaman and Nicobar, made up of more than 500 mostly uninhabited islands, for signs of the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 jetliner. More on this story here.

The United States Navy Seventh Fleet's USS Kidd, meanwhile, has arrived in the northwestern section of the Strait of Malacca today to assist in the search efforts. Full story here.

Iran said it is ready to provide Malaysia any kind of assistance in finding the missing MH370 airplane. More on the story.

Investigators involved in the search for the missing flight MH370 reportedly now fear that the aircraft is at the bottom of the Indian Ocean. Full story here.

Meanwhile, Chinese researchers have detected a "seafloor event" near the waters between Malaysia and Vietnam, one-and-a-half hours after MH370 disappeared from the radar. Click here for the full report

An aviation journalist also reveals that MH370 could have landed on a runway based on the data received. Read his theory here.

The press conference has just ended. Here are some key highlights:

• The authorities have investigated two oil slicks at the South China Sea two days ago. One oil slick has a tiny hint of jet fuel, but they can't confirm it belongs to MH370. No debris was found

• Acting Transport Minister, Hishammuddin Hussein, denied reports that MH370 kept flying after it lost contact, with Rolls Royce and Boeing confirming that they have not received any flight data.

• Authorities are still unable to confirm that the plane made a turn-back: "Though there is information, it¹s not 100 per cent that it¹s MH370. That has not changed.²

• The UK investigation team and representatives from Roll Royce will be arriving tonight to assist investigations.

• Authorities can't confirm if transponder was deliberately switched off: ³There¹s no confirmation on the signal. We are still investigating the possibility,² says Hishammuddin.

• Hishamuddin has continued to deny that the police have searched the houses of Malaysia Airlines crew.

• On extending their search area to the Indian Ocean, Hishamuddin said: "Together with our international partners, we are pushing further east into the South China Sea and further into the Indian Ocean."

• Hishamuddin also confirmed that they are working very closely with the U.S. team: "They indicated they were studying the possibility of satellite communication. Whatever they have and will share with us."

Sources close to the ongoing investigation revealed that military radar-tracking evidence suggests that the missing jetliner was deliberately flown towards the Andaman Islands. Full story here.

The best information about the missing flight MH370 is probably in the hands of American officials who are in Malaysia assisting the investigation but they are keeping mum, the New York Times reported. Full story.

Several family members of Chinese passengers on board a missing Malaysian airliner have requested to speak directly with Malaysian leaders via teleconference. Story here.

The US believes that the shutdown of two communications systems on missing flight MH370 could have been deliberate. Full story.

A crisis management expert has pointed to rumours and speculation from social media as a hindrance for Malaysian authorities investigating the disappearance of flight MH370. Read it here.

US officials believe that the shutdown of two communication systems happened separately on missing MH370. One source revealed, it is an indication that the plane did not come out of the sky because of a catastrophic failure. Another source said that the data reporting system and transponder was shut down at 1.07am and 1.21am, respectively.

UPDATE [Thu 13 Mar]:
US officials revealed that flight MH370 continued to "ping" a satellite for four hours after it dropped off of the radar. The officials stated that the number of pings would indicate how long the plane stayed aloft. Full story here.

Communications satellites picked up faint electronic pulses ("pings") from MH370 after it went missing on Saturday, but the signals gave no indication about where the stray jet was heading nor its technical condition. Full story here.

A new search area may be opened in the Indian Ocean, says the White House. "We are consulting with international partners about the appropriate assets to deploy." Full story here.

U.S. officials have an "indication" that the missing jetliner may have crashed in the Indian Ocean. Naval ship USS Kidd was dispatched to the area to begin searching in the next 24 hours. Full story here.

************************************

What we know as of 11:06pm, 13 March 2014:

Search and rescue operations:

1. Currently 43 ships and 40 aircraft are involved in the search, according to acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin Hussein.
2. The Chinese ambassador to Malaysia confirms that the image leak was 'an accident' and 'a personal behaviour' and was not authorized by the Chinese government.
3. An image taken by a Chinese satellite shows apossible crash site of MH370. Malaysia sent an aircraft to search the location, while Chinese authorities say they could not confirm any links to MH370. Vietnam also mentioned that the area had previously been searched. Search aircraft eventually said they did not find anything.
4. India will deploy ships, aircrafts and helicopters.
5. A fleet of Earth-monitoring satellites by the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters has joined the search.
6. Search and rescue efforts will still continue, says acting Transport Minister Hishamuddin.
7. Researchers say China missed a chance to use its satellites to find MH370.
8. The search has been expanded into the Andaman Sea, as the air force believes MH370 might have strayed west.
9. Vietnam is scaling back the search for MH370.
10. Malaysia's air force chief denies saying the plane turned back into the Straits of Malacca.
11. The Indian navy has joined in, together with the navy satellite Rukmini or GSAT-7.
12. A crowdsourced initiative to find the MH370 has overloaded the provider¹s servers.
13. Searchers describe their efforts as akin to looking for the needle in a haystack.
14. Relatives of passengers are claiming that phones are still ringing when they try calling them.
15. Strange reports have emerged that MH370 was detected at the Straits of Malacca at about 2:40am on Saturday.
16. Vietnamese officials say they are preparing for the worst. However they are widening their search net, and Singapore is set to join the underwater search today.
17. An American satellite imaging company, DigitalGlobe, is getting the public to join the search by analyzing satellite imagery.
18. The search area has expanded to 500,000 square nautical miles (1.7mil sq km), from Sumatra to Hong Kong.
19. The USS Kidd joins the search, with both having Seahawk helicopters designed for search and rescue.
20. A commercial plane from out of Hong Kong reportedly saw several large pieces of debris 60km southeast of Vung Tau, a coastal city in Vietnam.
21. A low-flying plane was allegedly sighted early in the morning of March 8. Authorities refuse to confirm.
22. Malaysian submaries will not be deployed as they are not 'equipped for search and rescue'.
23. Vietnam, China, Singapore, United States, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand and India are assisting in the search.

Investigations still on-going:

1. US investigators suspect MH370 continued flying for four hours after it vanished due to data supposedly being sent from the engine. Hishamuddin denied this, quoting Boeing and Rolls Royce.
2. US satellites have not detected any sign of a mid-air explosion, say American officials.
3. A lawyer has slammed Malaysia for the Œmisleading information¹ on MH370.
4. MAS insists that all planes are Œairworthy¹ despite the Boeing 777 flaw being noted.
5. Under fire by the media, Hishamuddin insists there is no confusion in the MH370 search.
6. A Malaysian minister blamed the media for conflicting statements attributed to the government.
7. A senior MAS executive says there¹s no reason to believe this was caused by the crew.
8. The plane sent back two bursts of technical data before vanishing.
9. Legalities and jurisdiction issues are hampering investigations.
10. France is opening a manslaughter investigation into the MH370 disappearance.
11. Police are investigating the matter from four angles: hijacking, sabotage, psychological problems, and personal problems among passengers and crew.
12. The B777-200 aircraft that operated MH207 had undergone maintenance 12 days before the flight. There were no issues.
13. Previously-thought floating debris turns out to becable reel ¬ not adoor or life raft. Analysis of oil slick reveals that it isn't aviation fuel from MH370 , but from ship bunkering activities. More pictures here .
14. Experts are starting to believe the plane veered from its flight path, and could be hundreds of kilometers away.
15. French accident board BEA offers help,citing similarities with the 2009 Air France Flight 447 crash.
16. Boeing¹s Airplane Health Management system, which allows real-time plane monitoring, was not installed in the missing flight MH370.
17. No signals were spotted from the plane's Emergency Locator Transmittor (ELT) .
18. A portion of the aircraft wingtip was fixed by Boeing and was certified safe to fly. They dismissed the possibility of a technical problem and any form of threat prior to this.
19. PM Najib said that satelite imagery cannot be used as it cannot detect anything below the water surface.
20. MAS Operations Control Vice President Fuad Sharuji said the aircraft was carrying 7.5 hours of fuel at the time of its disappearance (2.40am).

Situation in Malaysia:

1. MAS denies sending family members of MH370 passengers from Hong Kong to India instead of Malaysia.
2. Year Three students from a rural school made a touching tribute to the passengers on MH370.
3. A local bomoh (shaman) returned for a second try, to the scorn and ridicule of netizens . This resulted in online parodies, and an Arab portal says Malaysia has resorted to using Œmagic¹.
4. Malaysians have grown angry over discrepancies and concealed information.
5. MAS is shocked by allegations of questionable behavior of the co-pilot above the MH370.
6. Hoaxers, opportunists and tasteless jokers have come out of the woodworks.
7. Malaysia Airlines will provide a total of 31,000 yuan (RM16,577) to all families of MH370 passengers, and will be flown to the crash site once the location is known.
8. A local bomoh (shaman) and psychic claim to be able to find MH370, and an African televangelist says he predicted this last July.
9. Guo Shaochun, head of a joint working group from the China govt has arrived in KLIA to further assist in the case, as well as the welfare of Chinese families here.
10. Ex-PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad chastises those who are 'playing the blame game' over the MH370 case.
11. Ex-NST head laments 'lax¹ security at KLIA, blames third world mentality.
12. The internet is ablaze with concerned netizens and celebrities expressing their views. Hashtags #MH370 and #PrayForMH370 were trending on Twitter.
13. Politician Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was slammed for an insensitive tweet about a 'new Bermuda triangle'.
14. The DCA Dir-Gen Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman said the airport authorities have examined security footage of the passengers and the baggage, and he is satisfied.
15. MAS says all other flights will proceed as usual, for now.

Missing passports and possible terror links:

1. A British terror plotter reportedly said he was aware of plans for an 'earlier shoe bomb attack in Malaysia'.
2. Malaysian police reportedly searched the homes of the crew members of flight MH370 as they pursue the sabotage angle. CID director Hadi Ho denied the report, but Home Minister Zahid later confirmed that the police indeed visited the homes as part of investigations.
3. All passengers who checked in for the flight had boarded the plane, dispelling earlier claims that 5 passengers were missing.
4. DCA Dir-Gen denies inconsistencies with police information.
5. The immigration chief insists security SOPs were followed.
6. The two passengers travelling with stolen passports were likely migrants, not terrorists. The first, Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad, 19, had wanted to migrate to Germany. The second is Delavar Syed Mohammad Reza, 30. They had both stayed over at a friend¹s house before leaving for MH370.
7. U.S. and European government sources are skeptical that MH370 was the target of an attack..
8. Thailand has been exposed as a crime hub for forged documents.
9. Azharuddin said all cabin baggage on the flight went through security screening, following protocols. MAS also confirms plane security complied with ICAO regulations.
10. Security in Malaysian airports remain the same as the government is not treating this as a security threat yet, despite PM Najib Razak saying KLIA security protocols will be reviewed and improved if necessary. An Immigration Dept source admits ³ the SOP does need to be reviewed.²
11. The Chinese Martyr's Brigade claims responsibility, but authorities brush off the Œunheard-of group¹.
12. The Immigration Department is under internal investigation following reports that Italian and Austrian passengers with Asian facial features were allowed to pass through. They had bought their tickets together through an Iranian link.
13. Interpol confirmed that the two missing passports were recorded in its Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.
14. Malaysia is working with the FBI on possible terror links to the MH370 disappearance.

Analysis, theories, opinions:

1. An analysis suggests China is using the search and rescue operations as an opportunity to flex its military muscles.
2. An interesting suggestion has emerged: to use the mathematical equation that solved the 2-year disappearance of Air France flight 447 within five days.
3. Here are five possible theories by AFP behind the MH370 disappearance.
4. Here are the key areas of confusion in relation to the missing MH370.
5. CNN laid out four possible scenarios regarding the MH370 disappearance.
6.Authorities are investigating the possibilities of a mid-air disintegration. A video explains the theory further. Radar and transponder information alone would be enough to confirm this theory, says a veteran pilot.
7. Industry experts offer insights into major questions, as well as a detailed analysis of possible reasons behind the MH370 disappearance.
8. An aviation lawyer said that the plane might have broken up due to lack of pressurisation or electrical failure.
9. Retired American Airlines Capt. Jim Tilmon said the route taken by the aircraft had plenty of antennae, radar and radios for contact, and the plane was 'as sophisticated as any commercial airplane could possibly be with an excellent safety record'.
10. The flight was piloted by Captain Zaharie Ahmad Shah, 53, with total flying hours of 18,365 hours. First officer, Fariq Ab.Hamid, 27, has a total flying hours of 2,763 hours.

Stories surrounding missing passengers:

1. Malaysia Airlines has retired the missing jetliner's flight code as a sign of respect to the 239 passengers and crew.
2. Abdul Hamid Mohd Daud has not given up hope on his son, Fariq, 27, who is the first officer aboard MH370.
3. 38 Malaysians were on-board MH370, including twelve colleagues, a family of three, a couple on honeymoon, a woman who had just celebrated her retirement and about 20 top management staff from Freescale Semiconductor.
4. The niece of Kuching police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad was a passenger on MH370.
5. MH370 Full passenger list here .

Editors's note: The public may contact +603 7884 1234. Next-of-kin may head to the Support Facility Building at KLIA's South Support Zone. For directions, call 03 8787 1269.

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