New sightings of objects in the Southern Corridor by Chinese Satellites

Chinese authorities have found a large piece of debris during the search for missing flight MH370, Malaysia's transport minister said today.

Hishammuddin Hussein said Chinese satellites had located an unknown object measuring 22.5m long by 13m wide in the remote southern Indian Ocean area where searches have been concentrated.

He made the announcement after being handed a handwritten notes during a daily press conference on updates in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines airliner.

He gave no further information, except to say that Chinese authorities would make an official announcement 'in a couple of hours'.

The first Australian Orion aircraft to make a sortie over the target zone for missing Flight MH370 has returned without success.

Flying Officer Peter Moore, the aircraft's captain, said a combination of 'less than ideal' weather and sea conditions had closed in on the flight.

He said his crew had flown through 'a thick layer of cloud from 2000 feet  to 500 feet, isolate showers and sea fog above the surface'.

However, the aircraft had managed to cover 100 per cent of its planned search area, with RAAF officers manning the visual observer station on board.

'However, we weren't able to find any evidence of wreckage from the missing Malaysian aircraft,' officer Moore said.

Malaysian Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said: 'I am still quite concerned that - it's been two days - and yet the searches have not come out with any debris.

'I am not going to give up... My biggest concern is that we are not able to identify the debris, having to go back to the two corridors.'

It came as Australia's acting prime minister today said his forces air and sea search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 'will continue while there's still hope'.

Warren Truss said no time limit had been placed on the operation which will continue 'indefinitely' and 'until we are absolutely satisfied further searching is futile.'

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Object 120km from debris in Australia

Updates.............BEIJING: A suspicious object spotted by a Chinese satellite was floating 120 km (72 miles) from possible debris announced by Australia in the search for a missing Malaysian jet, the official Xinhua news agency said on Saturday.
 "The location of the suspicious object is along the southern corridor missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 might have taken," it said, adding the object was spotted on March 18, two days after the satellite image announced by Australia. -- Reuters